The Senate Transportation Committee today passed primary seat belt legislation, which would require all vehicle passengers to wear a seat belt and allow police to pull over those in violation.

Currently, Minnesota law only allows motorists to be ticketed for failing to wear their seat belt if it is in conjunction with another driving offense.

“Plain and simple-this law works. Wearing seat belts saves lives on our roads,” said Sen.Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, who has championed this legislation for several years. “It’s absolutely heart-wrenching for our committee to hear from the families of those tragically killed in car crashes, knowing that many of these deaths were entirely preventable had their loved one been buckled up.”

Each year, approximately 200 unbelted motorists are killed on Minnesota roads and another 430 suffer serious life-altering injuries. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety testified that if
primary seat belt were enacted, up to 30 lives could be saved and 400 injuries prevented each year. DPS also predicted a primary seat belt law would result in a $25 million health care cost savings in the first year alone.

“The Minnesota Department of Public Safety told our committee that passing primary seat belt could have the greatest impact in our state and it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a cent,” Murphy said. “The life and cost-savings benefits should make it a no-brainer.”

In addition to DPS, law enforcement, medical professionals, and students testified in support of primary seat belt.

If Minnesota were to enact primary seat belt during the 2009 Legislative Session, the state could gain $3.4 million in federal funds for transportation safety improvements and driver-safety programs, Murphy said.

“This is the year where we must pass primary seat belt into law,” Murphy said. “Beyond needlessly losing more lives on Minnesota roads every year enactment is delayed, 2009 is the last year
where we can receive federal incentive funds for doing so.”