In Arkansas, the seat belt laws require any adult who occupies the front seat of a vehicle to wear a seat belt. Adults are not required by law to buckle up in the back seat, although common sense would suggest that you should.
The law regarding younger passengers, though, is very specific. It is the responsibility of the driver to make sure that anyone under the age of 15 is buckled in, regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle. And when it comes to child seats, there are very strict requirements.
Summary of Arkansas child seat safety laws
The child seat safety laws in Arkansas can be summarized as follows:
Children must ride in appropriate restraints until they are at least 6 years old, or weigh at least 60 pounds.
Infants who weight between 5 and 20 pounds must be placed in a rear-facing child seat.
Convertible child seats may be used for children between 30 and 40 pounds in the rear-facing position, and then used in the forward-facing position for children between 40 and 80 pounds.
Booster seats may be used for children who weigh 40 or more pounds and are 57 inches or under in height.
Children who weigh over 60 pounds may use an adult seat belt.
Penalties
If you violate the laws regarding child seats in the State of Arkansas, you can be fined $100. You can avoid a fine simply by obeying the child safety seat laws. They are in place to protect your children, so obeying them simply makes sense.
Buckle up, and make sure that you use an age-appropriate and size-appropriate car seat or booster seat for your child, so you can stay safe on Arkansas’ roadways.
