If you're among the one in five Minnesotans who doesn't regularly wear a seatbelt while driving, then prepare to pay a price.
After several failed attempts, state lawmakers now appear likely to pass a bill making seat belt violations a "primary offense." That means officers could pull you over merely for not buckling up.
"I think this resonates a lot more with some of the new representatives coming in than it has in the past," said the bill's author, Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL) of Minneapolis.
Under the terms of the bill, drivers, and passengers, not wearing seat belts face $25 fines. Drivers would be liable for fines levied against passengers under age 15.
"If we pass this law," Thissen said, "we estimate that forty lives will be saved. Four hundred serious injuries will be avoided in Minnesota [annually]."
Safe driving advocates strongly support Thissen's bill, which was debated Wednesday afternoon in a house subcommittee.
"It's just common sense," said Jon Cummings, founder of the non-profit group Minnesotans for Safe Driving.
Cummings' son, Phil, was killed by a drunk driver twelve years ago. A passenger in Phil's car, Jeff Gross, somehow survived the 70-mph crash.
"The only reason Jeff survived the accident," said Cummings, "is because he was wearing a seat belt, absolutely the only reason."
Critics worry the new seatbelt law will lead to increased racial profiling, because studies show that people of color wear seatbelts less often than Caucasians. Advocates of the law dispute the racial profiling concern. Instead, they say, the new law would save lives and state tax dollars.
"The federal government is now giving us an incentive to do this," said Rep. Thissen. "We get $15 million that we can use for traffic safety improvements."
(Copyright 2007 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
