Protecting Children
The best way to protect the safety of children is for adults to buckle up. Children model adult behavior, and adults who don't wear safety belts send a deadly message to their children.
Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that if the driver doesn't buckle up, more than 70 percent of the time children riding in that vehicle won't be buckled either.
Buckle Up New York aims to protect New York's children by enforcing all safety restraint laws pertaining to adults and children. The driver is responsible for all violations involving of children under age 16, even if another passenger is the parent of an unbuckled child.
Penalties for child passenger safety violations include fines up to $250 and 3 violation points on the driver's record for each child restraint violation.
For information on how to best protect your children, see Child Safety Seat Guidelines.