Key points
All drivers and front seat passengers must wear seat belts.
Source: Handbook p. 89
“All drivers and front seat passengers in vehicles, light trucks and motor homes must wear seat belts.”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 89Passengers 8 or older but under 18 must wear seat belts wherever they ride.
Source: Handbook p. 89
“If you are transporting passengers age eight (8) or older but less than age 18, they must wear seat belts, no matter where they are riding in the vehicle.”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 89Children under 4 must be in a federally approved child safety seat.
Source: Handbook p. 90
“Children under the age of four (4) must be buckled into a federally-approved child passenger restraint system (child safety seat)”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 90Children 4 and older but under 8 must be in a booster seat.
Source: Handbook p. 90
“Children ages four (4) and older, but under the age of eight (8) must be buckled into a federally-approved child booster seat”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 90Children younger than 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they outgrow its limits.
Source: Handbook p. 90
“Children younger than age 2 must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits of the car seat”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 90It is recommended that all children 12 and under ride in the rear seat.
Source: Handbook p. 91
“It is recommended that all children ages 12 and under ride in the rear seat.”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 91Texting while driving is a primary offense with a $50 fine.
Source: Handbook p. 93
“violating the law is a primary, summary offense with convictions carrying a $50 fine.”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 93It is against the law to hang anything from the rearview mirror while moving.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“It is against the law to have any object or material hanging from the rearview mirror while moving.”
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 31
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | passengers this age or older must be belted in any seat | Handbook p. 89 |
| 18 | the any seat belt rule runs until this age | Handbook p. 89 |
| 4 | age below which a child safety seat is required | Handbook p. 90 |
| 4 to under 8 | ages that need a booster seat | Handbook p. 90 |
| 2 | age below which a rear-facing seat is required | Handbook p. 90 |
| 12 | age at or below which children should ride in back | Handbook p. 91 |
| $50 | texting fine | Handbook p. 93 |
3 questions from the Pennsylvania practice test
1. What restraint does Pennsylvania require for a child under age four?
- A booster seat only after age eight
- An adult seat belt without a child seat
- A federally approved child passenger restraint system
- No restraint when the child rides in the back seat
Show answer
A federally approved child passenger restraint system. Pennsylvania requires every child under age four to ride in a federally approved child passenger restraint system, such as a child safety seat. The restraint must be secured with the vehicle seat belt system or the LATCH system, and the rule applies in either the front or back seat. An adult belt alone is not the required protection for this age group. A booster seat belongs to the next age band, beginning at age four and continuing until the child turns eight. Remember the under-four cue as child safety seat, secured to the vehicle, in every seating position.
2. A Pennsylvania child younger than age two must remain in what type of seat until it is outgrown?
- An adult lap belt in the front seat
- A forward-facing booster from birth
- A rear-facing car seat within its manufacturer limits
- Any seat without a weight limit
Show answer
A rear-facing car seat within its manufacturer limits. Pennsylvania requires children younger than age two to use a rear-facing car seat until they outgrow the seat’s maximum weight and height limits set by the manufacturer. A forward-facing booster from birth does not follow that rule, and an adult belt or an unrestricted seat does not provide the specified protection. Check both manufacturer limits rather than relying on age alone. Never place a rear-facing seat in front of an active passenger air bag.
3. What share of people in Pennsylvania crashes in 2017 were wearing seat belts, and which age group used them least?
- 80.2 percent, with drivers ages 16 to 24 having the lowest use and the most unbuckled injuries
- 99 percent, with seniors lowest
- 50 percent, with children lowest
- 25 percent, with truck drivers lowest
Show answer
80.2 percent, with drivers ages 16 to 24 having the lowest use and the most unbuckled injuries. In 2017, 80.2 percent of people involved in Pennsylvania crashes were wearing seat belts, and drivers ages 16 to 24 had the highest number of unbuckled injuries and fatalities of any age group and the lowest seat belt use. The belt is the single most effective protection in a crash, and the state's seat belt, child restraint and air bag rules are in Chapter 5.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with safe driving questions from the free Pennsylvania practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Chapter 5: Laws and Related Issues. 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.