KHI NEWS SERVICE
TOPEKA, April 4
The Kansas House and Senate
both approved a bill that will extend the state’s primary seat belt law to all drivers and passengers ages 17 and younger.
Originally debated as Senate Bill 211, the bill was combined in conference committee with other transportation-related measures in Senate Bill 8, which passed the House late Tuesday with a vote of 109-12.
“I think everybody knows that I”m not a great fan of primary seat belt laws, but I am a great fan of seat belts,” said Rep. Gary Hayzlett, R-Lakin, chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
“By passing one piece of legislation, we can save 10 lives in one year,” said Rep. Margaret Long, D-Kansas City, who supported the bill on the House floor. Long is the ranking minority member of the House Transportation Committee.
The Senate voted in favor of the bill with a vote of 37-3 early Wednesday, with several senators congratulating Sen. Les Donovan, R-Wichita, the Senate Transportation Committee chairman. Donovan has been a vocal supporter of primary seat belt laws.
“I’m very thankful house saw fit to do this after all these years of work,” he said.
Currently, drivers can be stopped and ticketed if officers see children ages 14 and under without seat belts. The offense is a so-called “primary” violation, which means a motorist can be stopped and ticketed for the offense. The bill extends that age to 17.
It also raises the fines for primary and secondary violations of the law. The secondary law, applicable to those 18 and older, lets police ticket drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts only when stopped for another reason, such as speeding. The bill includes a plan for distributing collected fines to improve traffic records systems and emergency medical services.
The fine for primary violations would now be $60 including court costs; secondary violations now carry a $30 fine, including court costs. Seat belt violations both primary and secondary currently carry a maximum $10 fine.