Seat Belts, Car Seats and Air Bags

Key points

1. Everyone in your vehicle must have a fastened safety belt or child seat.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “Everyone in your vehicle must have a fastened safety belt or child seat.”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 27

2. Wear the lap belt across the hips, not the stomach, and never put the shoulder harness under your arm.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “the lap belt should fit across the hips, not your stomach. • The shoulder harness should not be under your arm or behind your back.”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 27

3. Children 8 and under must be in an approved child safety seat unless they are 57 inches tall.

   Source: Handbook p. 28

   “All children aged eight and under must be properly secured in an approved child safety seat unless they are 57 inches tall.”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 28

4. Children ride rear facing in the back seat until at least 2 years old and 30 pounds.

   Source: Handbook p. 28

   “Children must be rear-facing in the back seat until at least two years of age and 30 pounds or longer if the car seat allows.”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 28

5. Children ride forward facing with a harness until at least 4 years old and 40 pounds.

   Source: Handbook p. 28

   “Children must be forward facing with a harness in the back seat until at least four years of age and 40 pounds”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 28

6. Children 12 and under should ride buckled up in a rear seat.

   Source: Handbook p. 29

   “Children twelve and under should ride buckled up in a rear seat, and child car seats should be approved for their age and size.”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 29

7. An air bag comes out of the dashboard at up to 200 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 29

   “an air bag comes out of the dashboard at up to 200 mph”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 29

8. Skipping the belt because you are just going to the store is a poor excuse; 3 of 4 fatal crashes are within 25 miles of home.

   Source: Handbook p. 28

   “Three out of four crashes resulting in death are within 25 miles of home. Not using a safety belt because you are just going to the store is a poor excuse”
   Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 28

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Utah practice test

1. 1. Under Utah's car seat guidance, how long must children ride rear facing in the back seat?

   1. Until their first birthday
   2. Until at least two years of age and 30 pounds, or longer if the seat allows
   3. Until they can sit up on their own
   4. Until age eight
   Show answer

   Until at least two years of age and 30 pounds, or longer if the seat allows. Rear facing seats spread crash forces across a small child's back and head, which is why the handbook says children must be rear facing in the back seat until at least two years of age and 30 pounds, and longer if the car seat allows it. The first birthday and the ability to sit up are milestones that come too early. Age eight relates to a different rule, the general child safety seat requirement for children aged eight and under who are shorter than 57 inches, not to the rear facing rule. Check the seat's label for its limits and keep the child rear facing as long as it permits.

2. 2. Where should children twelve and under ride to avoid air bag injuries, according to the Utah handbook?

   1. In the front passenger seat with the belt on
   2. On an adult's lap in the front seat
   3. Anywhere, as long as the air bag is on
   4. Buckled up in a rear seat
   Show answer

   Buckled up in a rear seat. A deploying air bag is designed for an adult and can seriously injure a child in the front seat. The handbook's air bag safety points start with the rule that children twelve and under should ride buckled up in a rear seat, and that properly restraining children in the back seat eliminates the danger from a deploying bag. The front seat, a lap, and an active air bag are the combinations the rule is written against. Younger children also need the correct car or booster seat.

3. 3. How does the Utah handbook describe skipping the safety belt because you are only going to the store?

   1. A poor excuse, and dangerous
   2. Legal as long as you stay under 25 mph
   3. Fine if you sit in the back seat
   4. Acceptable for trips under one mile
   Show answer

   A poor excuse, and dangerous. Most crashes happen close to home at ordinary speeds, so the handbook calls not using a safety belt because you are just going to the store a poor excuse and dangerous. There is no short trip, low speed, or back seat exception in Utah law; everyone in the vehicle must be belted on every trip. Buckle up before you move the car, every time.

Source: the Utah Driver Handbook, Section 7: Preparing Your Vehicle. 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.