Seat Belt Laws: How They Affect You

Good day readers,


I hope that this entry finds you well. Today’s topic is going to be the new law in Arkansas that makes not wearing a seat belt a primary offense. Just to be clear, a primary offense is one that a police officer can actually pull you over for. Before July of 2009, a police officer had to have a reasonable suspicion that you were committing a separate primary offense before they could issue a citation for not wearing your seat belt. This is no longer the case. If a police officer sees you driving down the street without a seat belt on, you could receive a citation for it. Arkansas is the twenty-seventh state to enact such legislation, citing lower traffic fatality statistics in states that have done the same.


The law was passed on March 4, 2009, and went into effect in July of 2009. When you receive a ticket for not wearing your seat belt, you have to either pay it, or show up in Court to dispute it. Neglecting to do so could result in a misdemeanor charge of Failure to Appear (FTA), which is an offense punishable by jail time.
Needless to say, it’s important that you wear your seat belt for the purposes of avoiding having to pay a ticket or go to jail, if not just for the sake of safety!


If you feel you have been wrongfully accused of not wearing a seat belt, or you were pulled over and ticketed prior to the time of the law’s passage, feel free to call us here at the Rees Law Firm, and set up an appointment to talk to one of the attorneys.