Michigan’s safety belt law allows police officers to stop a motorist solely for not wearing a safety belt in the front seat of a vehicle. The law also allows police officers to stop a motorist if a child age 4 through 15 is not properly restrained, no matter where they are riding in a vehicle. The law also requires all children under the age of 4 to be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat.

The child passenger safety law covers children up through age 15. Children from birth through age three must be in a child safety seat in the front and rear seats. Children who are four years old but less than sixteen years old riding in either the front or rear seat must use a safety belt.

For more information on safety belts, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.