MN Seatbelt Survey Called the Wrong Guy
I wear my seatbelt, but I don’t care if you wear a seatbelt. And I don’t think that makes me a bad person. I don’t want the government to spend any money making sure you wear your seatbelt. I’d just assume you died for being an idiot. And again, I don’t think that makes me a bad person.
A survey company called this week about seatbelt laws and drunk driving in Minnesota. I was doing the dishes, so I humored them and killed some time busting out some supreme, media-influenced knowledge about the proposed “primary enforcement” law in Minnesota - which essentially allows cops to pull you over soley for not wearing a seat belt.
More…
I couldn’t find any updates about the bill online, so I called and spoke with Carol at the MN Seatbelt Coalition. She told me the bill passed out of the Senate, didn’t go to House but went to conference - was included in the transportation bill, but then the overall omnibus transportation bill wasn’t passed. There’s no special session this year, so primary seat belt enforcement is dead for 2006. She says it will definitely be on the agenda next year, and the MSC planning for a 2007 push already.
Why is this such a necessary bill? Consider two facts:
1). In May of this year, 400 Minnesota law enforcement agencies took part in the national Click It or Ticket crackdown costing lots of money to operate (but no doubt taking in lots of $$$ in tickets).
2). The MN Safety Council says…”(primary) enforcement could save 51 lives, prevent 1,000 injuries….”
So we’re talking about a lot of money just to pull over admitted idiots for not buckling up when only 51 of those idiots die each year. So what?
Unlike drunk driving — where you have the possibility of killing someone else for driving under the influence — the only person NOT wearing a seatbelt can kill is YOU. I don’t want my taxt dollars going to save your stupid life for being an idiot.
Thus, while I’m down with the government spending some money to spread awareness (e.g., although in 2006 they spent $31 million in state and federal grants for national and state ads to attract young drivers who watch NASCAR and baseball - haha), I believe those funds would be better spent on drunk or speeding driving enforcement, schools or perhaps potholes, “…in the Twin Cities metro area, only 61 percent of highways offered a good or very good ride last year, MnDOT figures show.”
Background on the primary enforcement law (pdf)
Thoughts? Anybody been pulled over for (gasp!) not wearing a seatbelt - idiot!
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I think you should get a ticket for now wearing one but pulling cars over just for this is a waste of money and more importantly it’s a waste of time. It should be illegal but only enforced when you break another law (i.e. speeding, headlight out, etc).
Not to mention ‘not having your seatbelt’ on can be a reason for the cops to pull over anyone at any time. It’s his word versus yours in court.
I’m not even for giving a ticket if they pull you over and see you’re not wearing it. I’ve personally been screwed and know others that have been screwed repeatedly by undoing their seatbelt while reaching for their license/reg/insurance just because the cop felt like busting balls a bit more.
I am, however, all for busting people that don’t belt up or child seat their kids.
That’s a great point - there have been claims about enabling racial profiling by passing this law. I also agree that people who don’t buckle in their children should be ticketed with big fines. Your child is a minor, so you are responsible for their life. And if you’re a parent, I would hope you yourself would buckle up to be sure you’re around to raise them. Still, not sure a law targeting 18+ responsibility is worth the enforcement dollars and/or risk of misuse.
Yeah, I’d say this falls into that “you can’t legislate stupidity” category. I don’t think it’s entirely unreasonable to ticket someone for no seatbelt when they’ve already been pulled over for something else. I’m also not opposed to a modest ad campaign encouraging folks to wear seatbelts. If you had your seatbelt on like a smart person, just don’t unbuckle until the cop gets there. Then make him/her wait while you dig your info out license/reg/insurance out.
I don’t think that it’s entirely correct that the only people affected by an idiot not buckling up and getting into an accident is that idiot. Nothing happens in a vacuum. There will be a lot of expense associated with deaths or serious accidents - hospital costs, time spent by rescue crews, time spent investigating accidents, lost wages, etc.
I do think that pulling people over just because they’re not wearing a seatbelt is ridiculous, though.