Buckle Up!
The Buckle Up! domain tests Nevada's seat belt and child passenger safety laws: who must be restrained, who is responsible, how child seats are chosen, and why enforcement is primary.
Who must buckle
Nevada is a primary-enforcement state. An officer may stop a vehicle solely because an occupant is unbelted. All occupants must be properly restrained, and the driver is responsible for passengers under 18. The law applies in the back seat as well as the front.
Child seats
Children under 6 and under 60 pounds must be in an appropriate child safety seat. Children 6 through 17 must use a seat belt. Choose a seat by the child's height and weight limits, not age alone. Keep children rear-facing as long as the seat allows, and never place a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag. Use a booster until the lap belt sits low across the hips and the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder, not the neck.
Worked example
A 5-year-old who weighs 45 pounds rides in the back with only the vehicle's lap-and-shoulder belt. That violates Nevada law: the child is under 6 and under 60 pounds, so a child restraint is required. A 7-year-old who weighs 65 pounds may use the belt if it fits correctly.
Traps that cost marks
Thinking rear-seat passengers are exempt; putting two children on one belt; moving to a booster before the child reaches the seat's limits; placing a rear-facing seat in front of an airbag; assuming a thick winter coat is safe under the harness without adjusting it.