Seat belts, child seats and phone laws in Nevada

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain who must wear a seat belt in Nevada.
• You can choose the right restraint for a child passenger.
• You can state what Nevada allows and bans when it comes to phones while driving.
• You can describe the risks of leaving children or pets in a vehicle.

What you need to know and understand

• The driver and every passenger aged six and older must wear a seat belt if the vehicle has them.
• Children under six and shorter than 57 inches must ride in an approved child restraint.
• Children under two must ride in a rear-facing child seat in the back seat.
• Never put a rear-facing infant seat in front of a passenger airbag.
• Handheld phone calls are banned; calls are allowed only with a hands-free accessory.
• Texting, reading messages and using the internet on a handheld device while driving are banned.
• You may use a phone to report an emergency if stopping would be unsafe or impractical.

Buckling up everyone in the car

Fasten your belt before you start the engine, and check your passengers do too. A child should never ride on someone's lap or share one belt with another person.

Failing to restrain a child under six who is shorter than 57 inches can lead to fines, community service or even suspension of your license. The back seat is generally the safest place for children.

• Birth to at least age 2: rear-facing seat in the back.
• Growing toddlers and young children: forward-facing seat with a harness, then a booster seat, as the seat maker's size and weight limits allow.
• Older children: a properly fitted lap and shoulder belt, with the vehicle seat moved back if they must sit in front.
• Check that any child seat is approved under federal safety standards and installed as the maker instructs.

Nevada's phone rules

Nevada bans handheld phone use while driving for every driver, not just new ones. You may talk only with a hands-free accessory. You may not hold a phone to text, read, search the internet, or send or read any non-voice message. The only exception for ordinary drivers is reporting an emergency when stopping would be unsafe.

Fines increase with repeat offenses, and the DMV adds 4 demerit points for a second or later phone or texting offense. On the road test, using a phone means automatic failure.

• Set your music and navigation before you move off.
• Put your phone on do-not-disturb or out of reach.
• Let a passenger handle calls and messages.
• If you must use your phone, find a safe, legal place to park first.

Never leave children or pets behind

Nevada makes it a misdemeanor to leave a child aged 7 or younger alone in a vehicle when conditions put the child at significant risk, unless someone at least 12 years old is watching within sight. It is also illegal to leave a dog or cat in a vehicle in extreme heat or cold, and officials may use reasonable force to rescue the animal. Desert heat makes a parked car dangerous within minutes.

Common mistakes

• Holding the phone on speaker in your hand. That still counts as handheld use; use a hands-free setup.
• Glancing at messages at red lights. You are still driving while stopped in traffic.
• Moving a child into a booster seat too early. Follow the seat maker's limits, not age alone.
• Putting a rear-facing seat in the front with an active airbag.

Test yourself: Seat belts, child seats and phone laws in Nevada

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Nevada Permit Practice Test
• Learning to Drive in Nevada
• Moving to Nevada