Seat belts, child seats and phone laws in Wyoming

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain who must wear a seat belt in Wyoming.
• You can say which children need a child safety seat and where it goes.
• You can describe what the texting law bans and what it allows.
• You can wear a seat belt correctly.

What you need to know and understand

• Every driver and passenger must wear a properly adjusted seat belt.
• The driver must make sure passengers under 12 are belted.
• Seat belt fines: up to $25 for a driver and up to $10 for a passenger.
• Police cannot stop you for a seat belt violation alone.
• Children under 9 must ride in a child safety restraint, in a back seat unless an exception applies.
• Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an active airbag.
• Writing, sending or reading a text while driving is banned, with a fine of up to $75.
• Intermediate license holders must make sure everyone in the vehicle is belted.

Buckling up the right way

Pull the lap belt snugly across your hip bones, never across your stomach. The shoulder strap should cross your chest and still let you reach the controls. Never wear the shoulder strap on its own or tuck it behind you.

In Wyoming, a seat belt ticket is a secondary offense. An officer cannot stop you only for that, but can cite you if stopped for something else. A belt ticket does not count as a moving violation. Wearing your belt also earns a $10 reduction in the fine for another traffic ticket.

Child safety seats

• Applies to every child who has not reached their 9th birthday, in any passenger vehicle.
• The child must ride in a seat other than the front seat, unless the vehicle has only one row or all rear belts are used by other children.
• The seat must be installed and used as the manufacturer instructs.
• A child under 9 may use the regular belt only if the lap and shoulder belt fit properly across the collarbone, chest and hips.
• Fines: up to $50 for a first offense, waived if you show you got an approved seat afterwards, and up to $100 for later offenses.

Phones and other distractions

Research cited in the manual shows that even hands-free conversations distract drivers. Keep calls short or wait until you stop.

1. Do not write, send or read any text, instant message or email on a handheld device while driving.
2. The law allows texting only when lawfully parked, to contact emergency services, to enter a number or name to make a call, or using voice-operated hands-free technology.
3. Watch for local city ordinances that ban phone calls while driving.
4. Best practice from WYDOT: pull well off the road and stop before calling or texting.

Common mistakes

• Letting a back-seat passenger skip the belt on short trips. The law covers every occupant.
• Moving a 7-year-old into the front seat when back seats are free.
• Reading a text at a red light. Stopping in traffic is not the same as being lawfully parked, which is the exception the law gives.
• Wearing the lap belt across the stomach instead of the hips.

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

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

Go deeper

• Wyoming Permit Practice Test
• How to Get a Driver’s License in Wyoming
• Wyoming 50 Hour Driving Log and Behind-the-Wheel Certification