State lawmakers have the seatbelt bill back before them. The Senate Transportation Committee approved the measure Tuesday.
The bill would make failure to wear a seatbelt a primary traffic offense, which means a driver could be pulled over for that alone. Right now it’s a secondary offense. The driver has to be pulled over for something else first.
Transportation Committee Chairman Bob Beach, D-Monongalia, says the bill had good momentum last year until dying in the last few days of the session in the House Judiciary Committee. He hopes it will be different this year.
“Timing is right for this piece of legislation,” Sen. Beach told MetroNews. “After the success with the governor’s bill last year with texting and cell phone use–I think the timing is great. It’s a good fit and marries well with those pieces of legislation.”
State lawmakers passed a bill last year that made texting while driving a primary offense and using a handheld cell phone while driving a secondary offense. The cell phone provision will become a primary offense this July.
The seatbelt bill that passed Beach’s committee Tuesday does require everyone in the vehicle to be properly restrained not just those in the front seat and children like the current law. The bill includes a few exceptions.
The fine would stay the same as the secondary offense is now, $25 with no court costs.
The bill now moves on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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Comments
WVIRGINIAN FOR LIFE
Until the state puts seat belts in a school buses for our children how can they spend more valuable time on this bill. Once again, our legislators are doing nothing about protecting our children but want to scrutinize personal behavior in a car driven by others. What's next, no make-up in a car, no smoking in your car, no eating in your car. I'm on board with no texting and no cell hones unless hands free. But this is not worth the valuable legislature time unless you fix the school bus seat belt issue.
February 19, 2013 at 3:29 pm | Report comment
Shadow
Or keep their speed below 15 MPH. Maybe, air bags too!
February 19, 2013 at 6:22 pm | Report comment
Bobsowv
Dear WV 4death, there has never been a child killed in a school bus crash in wv on record. So it's not as huge an issue as over 300 a year in passenger cars, with more of those ejected and killed than wearing seat belts. So that's part of the answer. Next question.
April 11, 2013 at 7:49 pm | Report comment
Jim Hewitt
Mind your own business!
February 19, 2013 at 4:49 pm | Report comment
WVIRGINIAN FOR LIFE
Hewitt, I can always tell where the wimps are in the world. They hide behind keyboards and threaten people. So you and your wimpy seat belt friends can go back and work on something substantial like school bus seat belts to protect our children. Not another ridiculous petty fine so the cops have another reason to pull someone over.
February 19, 2013 at 6:24 pm | Report comment
Karen in Morgantown
I took Mr. Hewitt's comments to be directed at the Senator and not you WV4life.
February 20, 2013 at 9:24 am | Report comment
Bobsowv
Witnesses say Bobby Adams was driving south bound with his wife, Charm Adams, when the vehicle went off the side of the road. They believe he tried to overcorrect, but lost control and hit a telephone pole before flipping over.
Police said his 70-year-old wife, who was riding in the passenger's seat, was ejected and pronounced dead on the scene.
April 11, 2013 at 10:49 pm | Report comment
Shadow
Since when are you the only spokesman for School Bus Safety?
February 20, 2013 at 8:09 am | Report comment
Todd
Just what we need another law. The nanny state is alive and well.
February 19, 2013 at 10:40 pm | Report comment
Ragweed
Just another government intrusion into our freedoms.
February 20, 2013 at 8:46 am | Report comment
steve
by the way -why aren't there seat belts on school buses? this is rediculous...............
February 20, 2013 at 2:37 pm | Report comment
Bobsowv
Good reasoning Steve! Keep up the inspirational reasoning and prolific questioning.
April 11, 2013 at 7:51 pm | Report comment
DonaldB
When was it, early 90’s when West Virginia decided to make seat-belts mandatory? I can remember them saying “we aren’t going to pull you over for it blah, blah blah” and look where we are 20 years later—“WE WILL PULL YOU OVER FOR IT”--- makes you understand why the gun-folks fight so hard to keep their bazookas and 100 round clips!!!
May 12, 2013 at 8:50 am | Report comment