Seat Belt Laws

South Carolina has a primary safety belt enforcement law. Under the primary law, a law enforcement officer has the authority to stop a driver if the officer has a clear and unobstructed view of a driver or occupant of a motor vehicle not wearing a safety belt or not secured in a child restraint system.

South Carolina’s safety belt law requires that every driver and every occupant of a motor vehicle, when it is being operated on the public streets and highways of this state, must wear a fastened safety belt that complies with all provisions of federal law for its use. The driver is charged with the responsibility of requiring every occupant 17 years of age or younger to wear a safety belt or be secured in a child restraint system as required by law. However, a driver is not responsible for an occupant 17 years of age or younger who has a driver’s license, special restricted license, or beginner’s permit and who is not wearing a safety belt.

This law does not apply to:

A driver or occupant who possesses a written verification from a physician that he is unable to wear a safety belt for physical or medical reasons.
Medical or rescue personnel attending to injured or sick individuals in an emergency vehicle when operating in an emergency situation as well as the injured or sick individuals.
School, church, or day care buses.
Public transportation vehicles except taxis.
Occupants of vehicles in parades.
United States mail carriers.
An occupant for which no seat belt is available because all belts are being used by other occupants.
A driver or occupants in a vehicle not originally equipped with safety belts.

Violators are subject to a fine not more than $25. No person may be fined more than $50 for any one incident of more than one violation.

You can read more about South Carolina's sea t be l t l aw s h e re..

Seat Belt Law (en Espanol)

Ley de Cinturón de Seguridad
de Carolina del Sur

Ley de Carolina del Sur ‘"Sección 56-5-6520." El chofer y cada ocupante de un vehículo de motor, cuando está siendo operado en las calles públicas o autopistas del Estado, debe de llevar puesto el cinturón de seguridad que cumpla con todas las provisiones provistas por las leyes federales para su uso. El conductor tiene la responsabilidad de requerir que cada ocupante de 17 años de edad o menor lleve puesto el cinturón de seguridad o esté asegurado en un sistema de seguridad provisto por el artículo 47 de éste capitulo. Sin embargo, el chofer no es responsable por un ocupante el cual tiene diesisiete años de edad o menor el cual posea una licencia de conducir, licencia con restricciones especiales, o permiso de conducir y que no tenga puesto el cinturón de seguridad; tal ocupante estará en violación de este artículo y será multado de acuerdo a la sección 56-5-6540."

Algunas excepciones: La Ley no applica a:

Un conductor u ocupante que posea una verificacion por escrito de un médico el cual previene el uso de un cinturón de seguridad por razones físicas o médicas;
escuela, iglesia, o autobús de cuidado pre-escolar, vehículos de transportación pública excepto taxis;
Un ocupante el cual no tiene disponible un cinturón de seguridad debido a que todo otro cinturón ya es utilizado por otros ocupantes;
Ocupantes sentados en la parte trasera en un vehículo de motor, menos aquellos vehículos equipados con correas o cinturón de hombro adicional al cinturón de regazo o falda; Un conductor u ocupantes en un vehículo el cual no está originalmente equipado con cinturones de seguridad.

Así es como, el 9 de diciembre del 2005, cambiara la ley sobre el cinturón de seguridad en Carolina del Sur, de aplicación secundaria a aplicación primaria. ¿Qué significa esto? Bajo la ley anterior un oficial de policía solo le podía señalar a un conductor o pasajero si se le había detenido por otra infracción. Sin embargo, la nueva ley le da a un oficial de policía la autoridad de detener a un conductor si el oficial tiene una visión clara u obstruida de un pasajero que no lleva puesto el cinturón de seguridad o si un niño no esta sujeto a un porta bebés.

Los infractores están sujetos a una multa no mayor de $25. Ninguna persona puede ser sancionada por más de $50 por un incidente o más de una infracción.

Buckle Up South Carolina

Buckle Up SC is a public education campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of driving without a seat belt. Find our more about the Buckle Up SC campaign here.

Child Passenger Safety Laws

South Carolina law requires children to be in an approved safety seat until they reach the age of 8 or a height of 57 inches.

For all children under the age of 13, the back seat is the safest place for them to ride. They are better protected from head-on collisions, which constitute about 60 percent of all crashes.

In addition, they are not at risk for being injured by the passenger air bag, which is designed for adult protection in conjunction with a seat belt. However, if a motor vehicle lacks a rear passenger seat, or if all of its rear seating positions are occupied by children under eight years of age, a child under eight years of age may be transported in the front seat of the motor vehicle if the child is secured properly in an appropriate child passenger safety restraint system or belt-positioning booster seat as described.

You can read the child passenger restraint system laws in the South Carolina Code of Law Section 56-5-6410 through Section 56-5-6420.

Child Passenger Safety

Children are our most precious cargo. And one of the safest choices you can make for your child in a vehicle is to secure them in a properly sized child safety seat. Read more about Child Passenger Safety here.

Pickup Truck Open Bed Law

South Carolina law prohibits the transportation of a person under 15 years of age in the open bed or open cargo area (no permanent overhead restraining construction) of a pickup truck or trailer, except when:

An adult is present in the bed or cargo area and is supervising the child.
The child is secured or restrained by a seat belt manufactured in compliance with federal safety standards and installed to support a load of not less than 5,000 pounds.
An emergency situation exists.
The vehicle is being operated in an organized hayride or parade pursuant to a valid permit.
The vehicle is being operated while hunting or in an agricultural enterprise.
The vehicle is being operated in a county which has no incorporated area with a population greater than 3,500; or
The vehicle has a closed metal tailgate and is being operated less than 36 mph.

The fine for a violation of this section is $25. No driver’s license points or insurance surcharge may be assessed for a violation of this section.

You can read the South Carolina Transportation of Minors in Open Vehicles law in the South Carolina Code of Law Section 56‑5‑3900.