Before switching on the ignition, you should:
- Buckle your safety belt.
- Be sure all passengers have buckled their safety belts.
- Both of the above. ✓
Answer: C. Both of the above.
Both you and every passenger should be buckled up before you switch on the ignition.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says you and your passengers must wear seat belts, and that a ticket can follow if they do not. It also notes that lap and shoulder belts keep you in a better position to control the vehicle and can reduce serious injuries. Because the rule covers everyone in the car, not just the driver, the complete answer is that the driver buckles up and makes sure all passengers are buckled too, and doing this before starting the engine means the car never moves with anyone unbelted.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Buckle your safety belt. — Buckling only yourself leaves your passengers unrestrained, and the handbook puts the seat belt requirement on you and your passengers alike.
- B. Be sure all passengers have buckled their safety belts. — Checking only your passengers skips your own belt, which the handbook also requires you to wear.
Remember it
Belt yourself first, then glance around the car — everyone buckled before the key turns.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 8: Safe Driving, p. 65