Tags show the kind of rule and whether it’s a written-test point or matters on the drive test (our tagging). Each rule links to its official source.
Seat-belt enforcement is primary in New York: police may stop you just because you or a passenger isn’t buckled, and the law applies to visitors from other states too.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §1229-C
The driver and every passenger 16 or older must wear a seat belt, front seat or back, one person per belt. Each unbuckled person 16 or older can be fined up to $50.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §1229-C
The driver must make sure every passenger under 16 is belted or in the right child restraint. Each violation costs the driver $25–$100 and 3 points.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §1229-C
Children under 4 must ride in a federally approved child safety seat secured by the seat belt or LATCH. Keep them rear-facing until age 2 or until they outgrow the seat’s rear-facing height or weight limit.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §1229-C
Children aged 4 to 7 need an appropriate child restraint, usually a booster seat used with a lap-and-shoulder belt. The car’s seat belt alone doesn’t count as a child restraint.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §1229-C
Passengers aged 8 to 15 must wear a seat belt. A 4- to 7-year-old over 4 feet 9 inches and/or 100 pounds may use a regular belt, while a child 8 or older still under that size should keep using a booster.
California differs: California lets a child move to a regular belt at age 8 or once 4 ft 9 in tall; New York draws the line by age (booster through age 7), with a 4 ft 9 in and/or 100 lb exception. California rule
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §1229-C
Belt rules don’t apply in certain emergency vehicles, vehicles built in 1964 or earlier, buses other than school buses, to rural mail carriers on duty, to taxi or livery passengers under 8, or to people with a doctor-certified condition that prevents restraint.
Law NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
In a crash an unbelted person becomes a projectile that can hurt everyone in the car. For extra protection, adjust the head restraints, lock the doors, and put heavy loose items in the trunk.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Air bags supplement seat belts; they don’t replace them. Together they give the most protection and help you keep control and avoid a second collision.
Safety advice Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Keep the center of your chest 10 or more inches from the air-bag cover, and hold the wheel at 3 and 9 o’clock so your hands are clear if the bag deploys.
Safety advice Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Never put a rear-facing infant seat in a front seat that has a passenger air bag.
Safety advice Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Every vehicle driven or parked on public roads must pass a safety inspection at least once a year. Between inspections, follow your owner’s manual and fix problems promptly; keeping the car safe is the driver’s job.
California differs: California’s handbook mentions no yearly safety inspection for passenger cars; New York requires one every year.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
If the car pulls to one side when you brake, the brakes may just be wet; dry them by pressing the pedal lightly as you drive. If that doesn’t fix it, or braking feels different, have them checked right away.
Safety advice Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
The steering wheel shouldn’t have much free play. Check the power-steering fluid now and then; a whine during sharp turns can signal trouble.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Clean dirt, snow and ice off your lights, replace broken lenses because they cause glare, and keep the headlights aimed correctly.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Tires must have at least 2/32 inch of tread. Penny test: put Lincoln’s head into the deepest groove; if you can see all of it, replace the tire. Cuts down to the cords, bumps and bulges are also illegal.
California differs: California’s drive-test car needs only 1/32 inch of tread; New York’s legal minimum for driving is 2/32 inch. California rule
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Check tire pressure often with a reliable gauge, using the figure in your owner’s manual or from a tire store.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Keep the windows clean, replace worn wiper blades, keep the defroster and rear defogger working, and keep the washer reservoir full.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
Your horn may be your only way to warn others of danger, so repair it promptly, and never use it to vent anger at drivers or pedestrians.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 8: Defensive Driving
By law, headlights must be on from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and any time you can’t see clearly 1,000 feet ahead.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 10: Special Driving Conditions NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §375
Whenever rain, snow, sleet or fog makes you use your windshield wipers, New York law requires your headlights to be on.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 10: Special Driving Conditions NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §375
Parking lights and daytime running lights don’t count as headlights. Turn real headlights on at dawn, at dusk and in fog; even when they don’t help you see, they help others see you.
Safety advice Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 10: Special Driving Conditions
An oncoming driver flashing their lights at you in dim conditions usually means your car is hard to see: switch your headlights on.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 10: Special Driving Conditions
Switch to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and within 200 feet of a vehicle you’re following, even if it’s in a different lane.
California differs: When following, California’s distance is 300 feet; New York’s is 200 feet. The 500-foot rule for oncoming traffic is the same in both states. California rule
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 10: Special Driving Conditions NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §375
Dim your high beams for pedestrians walking toward you, too.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 10: Special Driving Conditions
Fog lights must be an approved type, correctly installed: white or amber in front, red at the rear. Use them so they don’t dazzle other drivers, and turn them off once visibility improves.
Law Written test NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 10: Special Driving Conditions
Driver-assist features such as blind-spot warning, backup cameras, collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane keeping help but don’t drive for you: keep doing head checks and mirror checks, and learn each feature’s limits.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 13: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Driver-assist sensors can fail in rain, snow, ice, fog, on hills and in curves; keep sensors clean and undamaged and the software up to date.
Safety advice NY Driver’s Manual, ch. 13: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems