Assuming no seat belt exemption applies, your car came from the factory with automatic shoulder harnesses that fasten by themselves. What does North Carolina's seat belt law require of you regarding the lap belt?
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A.
The lap belt is required only on trips over one hour
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B.
The lap belt must still be worn along with the harness Correct
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C.
The lap belt is optional if the harness fastens automatically
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D.
The lap belt is required only for the front passenger
The answer is "The lap belt must still be worn along with the harness"
When a vehicle is equipped with automatic shoulder harnesses, the lap belt must still be worn, because the shoulder harness alone can let the body slide forward and downward in a crash. Drivers who treat the self-fastening harness as a complete restraint, the way a one-piece automatic belt in older cars appeared to work, are the ones who skip the lap belt and miss this question.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. The lap belt is required only on trips over one hour
The manual sets no time threshold for the lap belt; it must be worn whenever the vehicle is in forward motion. Borrows the 'short trip doesn't count' habit some drivers invent to skip belts on quick errands, which North Carolina's law never grants. This answer ties the lap belt requirement to trip length, a threshold the manual never states.
C. The lap belt is optional if the harness fastens automatically
The manual says the lap belt must still be worn; the automatic harness is not a full restraint, because without the lap belt the body can slide under the shoulder strap. Picks up on the assumption that any belt that fastens itself must be doing the whole job, the way a one-piece automatic belt in older cars appeared to. This answer treats a self-fastening shoulder harness as a complete restraint equivalent to a lap-and-shoulder belt.
D. The lap belt is required only for the front passenger
The seat belt law covers both the driver and passengers who are subject to it, not the front passenger alone. Carries over the old idea that passenger-side rules are stricter than the driver's, which the North Carolina statute does not apply here. This answer splits the lap belt requirement by seat position, which the manual does not do.
This question tests your knowledge of Safety Belts & Restraints in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "Seat Belts," p.43..
Related North Carolina questions
- Assuming no listed exemption applies, North Carolina's seat belt law requires which occupants of a motor vehicle manufactured with seat belts to buckle up while it is moving forward on a public street or highway? →
- According to the manual's child safety points, how should children age 12 and under be seated in a vehicle? →
- The manual states one absolute rule about rear-facing infant safety seats. What does it forbid? →
- According to the manual's adult safety points, where should the lap portion of a seat belt be worn? →
- The manual describes the proper path for the shoulder portion of a seat belt. Where should it lie on the body? →
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