State Patrol Urges Seat Belt Usage

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Ohio Law requires all motorists and juvenile passengers to fasten their seat belts. 

Ohio State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Brian Hawkins explained the importance of wearing the standard safety device that has been built into every vehicle since 1968.

“Obviously we encourage everyone in the vehicle to wear their seat belt regardless of age, where they’re sitting at in the vehicle, so we do encourage that,” Hawkins said. “Rear seat, adults do not have to wear seat belts in the rear seat. So minors do, juveniles do, and there are certain age, height and weight limit requirements that you are required to do that. And I would encourage you just to reach out the post. We can give you all the information. So you make sure you are putting your child in the right car seat, booster seat or however they need to be properly secured in the vehicle.”

Hawkins noted that when a car comes to an abrupt stop during a crash, unsecured people and objects inside the vehicle do not. Moreover, seatbelts protect occupants from the violent inflation of the airbags. He also stated that drivers can not be pulled over for seat belt violations alone. 

“It is a zero tolerance. Unfortunately in the state of Ohio, it is a secondary offense. So we just can’t pull you over and issue you a citation for not wearing your seat belt. There’s got to be another violation with that. Our post covers Muskingum and Coshocton Counties. Just in 2026, we have a total of eight fatality related crashes here in our two counties. Of those eight, five of those individuals were not wearing their seat belts. So that’s a more important reason to wear your seat belt when you’re out on the roadways,” Hawkins said. 

Statewide, patrol statistics indicate that 2,741 fatalities have resulted since 2021, from people not wearing their seatbelts. Additionally, 332,000 safety belt violations have been issued during that same time frame.