German law requires all vehicles to have working seat belts for every occupant of the vehicle, including those in the back seat. Adults riding in the front and rear seat are required to wear seat belts or face an on-the-spot fine for each person not properly buckled up. How To Germany, a website that provides a wealth of information about the country, says there is one exception to the law. Seat belts are not required for back-seat passengers in older-model cars that didn't originally come with the restraints.
According to the Automobile Association, children under 12 and less than 1.5 meters tall (59 inches) are required to use a car seat that carries German government approval or use a child restraint. If all child seats or restraints are being used by other children in the vehicle, children 3 and older are required to ride in the back seat of the vehicle using a seat belt or safety device that is attached to the seat. If a child is under 3, they may not ride in a vehicle that does not have an approved child seat or restraint. Drivers are responsible for making sure any children traveling in their car are properly restrained.
The How To Germany website reports that in 2010, the fine for failure to fasten a seatbelt in Germany is 30 Euros (about $40). If you fail to fasten a child's seatbelt, the fine is also 30 Euros. If you are convicted of unsafely transporting a child, even if he has a restraining device, you can be fined 30 Euros. A similar offense involving more than one child could result in a fine of 30 Euros. If you transport a child without a restraining device, the penalty is a fine of 40 Euros (about $53) and one point. Transporting multiple children without restraining devices could subject you to a 50 Euro (about $67) fine and one point penalty.
