Key points
All occupants in all seating positions must wear seat belts.
Source: Handbook p. 34
“North Dakota’s seat belt law requires all occupants to wear seat belts in all seating positions.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 34Your chance of being killed is four times greater if you are thrown from the vehicle.
Source: Handbook p. 33
“Your chances of being killed are four times greater if you are thrown from the vehicle.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 33Injury crashes are most likely under 40 mph and within 25 miles of home.
Source: Handbook p. 33
“crashes causing injury are most likely to occur at speeds less than 40 miles per hour and within 25 miles of home.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 33Children under 8 need a car seat or booster; a seat belt may be used once they are at least 57 inches tall.
Source: Handbook p. 34
“Children under eight years of age must be properly secured in a child restraint (car seat or booster seat). A seat belt may be substituted for children who are at least 57 inches tall.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 34Children 8 through 17 must use a seat belt or child restraint.
Source: Handbook p. 34
“Children ages eight through seventeen must be properly secured in a seat belt or child restraint.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 34Move from a car seat to a booster at 40 pounds and at least 4 years old.
Source: Handbook p. 34
“Children should be at least 40 pounds and at least 4 years of age to move from a car seat to a booster seat.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 34Children under 13 should ride in the back seat, even without an airbag.
Source: Handbook p. 34
“Children under age 13 should ride in the back seat -even if the vehicle does not have an airbag.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 34Heatstroke begins at a core temperature of about 104 degrees; about 107 degrees is lethal.
Source: Handbook p. 35
“Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees and the thermoregulatory system is overwhelmed. A core body temperature of about 107 degrees is lethal.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 35On a day in the mid 60s, a car's inside temperature can rise above 110 degrees.
Source: Handbook p. 35
“An outside temperature in the mid60s can cause a vehicle’s inside temperature to rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit.”
North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 35
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| 4 times | higher chance of death if thrown from the vehicle | Handbook p. 33 |
| 40 mph / 25 miles | injury crashes are most likely below this speed and within this distance of home | Handbook p. 33 |
| under 8 / 57 inches | child restraint age, and the height for using a seat belt instead | Handbook p. 34 |
| 8 through 17 | ages that must use a belt or child restraint | Handbook p. 34 |
| 40 pounds and 4 years | to move from a car seat to a booster | Handbook p. 34 |
| 13 | children under this age ride in back | Handbook p. 34 |
| 104 / 107 degrees | heatstroke begins, and lethal core temperature | Handbook p. 35 |
| 110 degrees (mid 60s outside) | inside temperature possible on a mild day | Handbook p. 35 |
3 questions from the North Dakota practice test
1. A child is younger than eight and shorter than 57 inches. How must the child be secured in a vehicle?
- With no restraint when seated in back
- With a lap belt only
- With an adult passenger's seat belt
- With a child restraint such as a car seat or booster seat
Show answer
With a child restraint such as a car seat or booster seat. A North Dakota child under eight must be properly secured in a child restraint, such as a car seat or booster seat, when the child is below 57 inches tall. The seat-belt substitution applies only when a child is at least 57 inches tall, so the lap-belt-only option changes the height condition. An adult passenger cannot replace the required restraint, and the back seat does not create an exemption. Keep the child restraint installed and used according to its manufacturer instructions. The violation carries a $25 penalty and one point against the driver's license.
2. According to the North Dakota manual, when do air bags work best?
- When everyone is buckled and children 12 and younger are restrained in the back seat
- When seat belts are not used
- When occupants sit close to the dashboard
- Only in side impact crashes
Show answer
When everyone is buckled and children 12 and younger are restrained in the back seat. Air bags work best when everyone is buckled and children, especially those age 12 and younger, are properly restrained in the back seat. Some vehicles have side air bags for side impact and rollover crashes, so check the vehicle and child restraint manufacturers' recommendations for child seats in those seating positions. Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an air bag.
3. At what core body temperature does heatstroke begin, according to the North Dakota manual?
- About 104 degrees, with about 107 degrees being lethal
- About 99 degrees
- About 120 degrees
- About 95 degrees
Show answer
About 104 degrees, with about 107 degrees being lethal. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees and the body's cooling system is overwhelmed, and a core temperature of about 107 degrees is lethal. A child left in a vehicle heats up fast because an outside temperature in the mid 60s can push the inside above 110 degrees. Look before you lock, every time, and call 911 if you see a child alone in a hot car.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with safe driving questions from the free North Dakota practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Driving Skills and Emergency Situations. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.