You Can Take Your Seat Belt Course on the Web
Texas’ Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign was set in place to promote seat belt and child restraint use on Texas roadways. Through this effort, a large number of citations have been issued for seat belt violations.
Individuals who have been cited for a violation of Section 545.413, Texas Statutes or related statutes might be court ordered to complete a TEA approved 6-hour seat belt class.
This class is available online through Texas Drive Safe, so you do not have to schedule a class on a Saturday or drive anywhere.
Click here to read details about the seat belt course.
Court Ordered Attendance
Court ordered attendance of TEA approved courses for seat belt violations is mandated in §545.413 of the Texas Statutes:
(i) A judge, acting under Article 45.0511, Code of Criminal Procedure, who elects to defer further proceedings and to place a defendant accused of a violation of Subsection (b) on probation under that article, in lieu of requiring the defendant to complete a driving safety course approved by the Texas Education Agency, shall require the defendant to attend and present proof that the defendant has successfully completed a specialized driving safety course approved by the Texas Education Agency under the Texas Driver and Traffic Safety Education Act (Article 4413(29c), Vernon’s Texas Civil Statutes) that includes four hours of instruction that encourages the use of child passenger safety seat systems and the wearing of seat belts and emphasizes:
(1) the effectiveness of child passenger safety seat systems and seat belts in reducing the harm to children being transported in motor vehicles; and
(2) the requirements of this section and the penalty for noncompliance.
Safety Belt Law
Texas’ safety belt / seat belt law is found in §545.413 of the Texas Statutes:
(a) A person commits an offense if:
(1) the person:
(A) is at least 15 years of age;
(B) is riding in [the front seat of] a passenger vehicle while the vehicle is being operated;
(C) is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt; and
(D) is not secured by a safety belt; or
(2) as the operator of a school bus equipped with a safety belt for the operator’s seat, the person is not secured by the safety belt.
(b) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) operates a passenger vehicle that is equipped with safety belts; and
(2) allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and who is not required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system under Section 545.412(a) to ride in the vehicle without requiring the child to be secured by a safety belt, provided the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt.
(b-1) A person commits an offense if the person allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and who is not required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system under Section 545.412(a) to ride in a passenger van designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the driver, without securing the child individually by a safety belt, if the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt.
(c) A passenger vehicle or a seat in a passenger vehicle is considered to be equipped with a safety belt if the vehicle is required under Section 547.601 to be equipped with safety belts.
(d) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $50. An offense under Subsection (b) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $200.
The online seat belt course is presented here through a partnership with I Drive Safely®.
