JEFFERSON CITY — In an effort to encourage more Missouri drivers to wear their seatbelts, Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, is sponsoring legislation, Senate Bill 236, this year that would increase the fine for seatbelt violations from the current $10 to $50.
“Buckling up is a simple action that takes a few seconds, at most. Yet, it exponentially increases an individual’s chances of surviving a vehicular accident, by as much as 45 percent,” said Sen. Keaveny. “During my years in the Legislature, I’ve consistently fought to protect those on our roadways. Studies confirm that higher fines for seatbelt violations contribute to increased use, which in turns makes motorists safer. Moderately increasing our state seatbelt fine is a common-sense way to encourage more drivers and passengers to fasten their seatbelts, saving lives.”
Missouri is one of only 16 states that have what is known as a secondary seatbelt law. This means that law enforcement are prohibited from pulling someone over for not wearing their seatbelt, but can issue an incidental ticket during the traffic stop.
According to the Governors Highway Association, even among those states with secondary seatbelt laws, Missouri’s fine is among the lowest. The state’s seatbelt use is also around 5 percent lower than the national average. A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that a primary seatbelt law would substantially reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries.
Troop F of the Missouri Highway Patrol reported 1,457 vehicle crashes in 2014 in the 13 counties it covers; 73 resulted in deaths. Around 50 percent of those individuals were not wearing seatbelts. In fact, the Highway Patrol said most fatalities on Missouri roadways are due to drivers and passengers not buckling their seatbelts.
Senator Keaveny noted that teenagers, who are at a higher risk of being involved in an accident, wear their seatbelts around 63 percent of the time, according to a report by the Missouri Safety Center. The figure was down from the previous year.
“As parents, we need to educate our children on the safest driving practices,” said Sen. Keaveny. “Chief among these is buckling your seatbelt. By increasing the fine, we can encourage teenagers the importance of taking a small step that could potentially save their life. And, once a motorist establishes that habit early, they’re more likely to continue it into adulthood. This bill is simply about making Missouri drivers safer.”
For more information on Senate Bill 236, visit Sen. Keaveny’s official Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny. |
