Occupant Protection
Seat Belts Save Lives
One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. In Louisiana, seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 5,412 lives in 2017. Louisiana law states that all drivers and passengers, regardless of which seat they occupy in a vehicle, must wear a seat belt or be properly restrained in a child safety seat that is properly installed. If you or a passenger are found not to be wearing a seat belt, you will be fined $50 for the first offense, $75 for the second offense, and $75 plus court fees for all subsequent offenses.
NELA Destination Zero Deaths (DZD) and HSTF support national programs such as “Buckle Up America,” “Never Give Up Until They Buckle Up,” and “Click It or Ticket” that raise awareness of the need for proper restraint usage.
Understand the potentially fatal consequences of not wearing a seat belt and learn what you can do to make sure you and your family are properly buckled up every time. Learn more at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website.
Safety Fact
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Watch a video for the NHSTA “Click It or Ticket” campaign.
Safety Fact
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Watch a video on choosing the right car seat for your child.
Seat Belt Safety
Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash. Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected from a vehicle is almost always deadly.
Safety during Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, make sure you know how to position your seat and wear a seat belt to maximize your safety and the safety of your unborn child.
View NHTSA’s instructional diagram version of seat belt recommendations for pregnant drivers and passengers.
Safety for Young Drivers (15-24)
Tragically, seat belt use is lowest among teen drivers. In fact, the majority of teenagers involved in fatal crashes are unbuckled. Share this fact sheet on Proper Seat Belt Use with your teen driver.
Remind your teens buckling up is the law.
Safety for Tweens (8-14)
The time to transition your child out of a booster seat and into a seat belt usually comes when the child is between 8 and 12 years old. Keep your children in booster seats until they outgrow the size limits of the booster seats or are big enough to fit properly in seat belts.
Set the example by always wearing your seat belt. Learn NHTSA’s tips to motivate your tweens to buckle up.
Safety for Children (0-13)
Buckle children in the right seat based on their age and size. All children under age 13 should ride in the back seat. Make sure to learn the Louisiana Child Passenger Safety Laws.
There are many car seat choices on the market. Use NHTSA’s car seat recomendations for children to help you choose the type of car seat that best meets your child’s needs.
Need assisantance with your child safety seat? Join nationally certified technicians at FREE safety seat installation events throughout the year. Follow us on Facebook to learn when the next event is!
View the Occupant Protection 2024 Action Plan
occupant protection team leaders
Sara Dickerson, R.N.
Region 8 Maternal Health, LAPSTF Regional Coordinator
Officer Melisa Guice
West Monroe PD, CPS Technician
Chief ShaBrodrick Jones
Monroe City Fire, CPS Technician
Shelby Rybicki
North Delta, CPS Technician
