Missouri bill would make lack of seat belt cause for traffic stop

Scott County Commissioner Jamie Burger always uses his seat belt. He said his family buckles up too, and for those workers driving county vehicles, "it's a condition of employment."

Under Missouri law, Section 307.178 to be specific, failure to wear a seat belt will cost the offender $10 — unless there are more people in the vehicle than there are seat belts, for which there is no penalty. But police can only issue the ticket if the car is pulled over for another reason.

House Bill 665, introduced by Rep. Bill Deeken (R-Jefferson City), would make lack of seat belts a valid cause for a police stop. Rep. Neal St. Onge (R-Ellisville) has repeatedly filed similar bills, with no luck.

Bob Holthaus, workers' compensation loss prevention coordinator for the Missouri Association of Counties, would like to see county workers buckle up, law or not. He's been telling two seat belt stories to county commissioners this year.

During state-required training in Jefferson City, he relayed the case of the 18-year-old road and bridge department employee who was half-thrown from his county vehicle and is now "nearly completely disabled." In another incident, he said, a sheriff's deputy died in a high-speed crash because he was not wearing a seat belt; his partner, who was buckled up, survived the crash with minor injuries.

Holthaus got emotional each time I watched him talk to county officials, particularly when he mentioned the fact that the victims were "young fathers of young children."

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan said the state requires those in law enforcement to use seat belts.

But he wouldn't take a position (nor would Burger) on whether HB 665 should pass or not. Why? It's a hot-button issue. Critics say primary seat belt laws are invasive and could be used in racial profiling. Previous efforts to get a primary seat belt law passed in Missouri have failed nearly a dozen times.

In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that more Americans were buckling up than ever before, an estimated 83 percent, at least during daylight hours. But here in Missouri, only 76 percent are likely to use this safety device.

Only New Hampshire lacks any seat belt law — though an effort is underway to get one passed — and, not surprisingly, fewer people buckle up while traveling by car in the Granite State than anywhere else in the nation. When cars crashed on New Hampshire's roads in 2007, 70 percent of the occupants without seat belts died — up from 56 percent in 2002. In Missouri, more than 2,200 people who died in car accidents since 2005 were not wearing seat belts.

If the latest version of the primary seat belt bill passes this time around, Missouri could stand to gain about $20 million in federal funding for highway safety. MoDOT officials, from director Pete Rahn on down, repeatedly point out, as many as 11 percent more people will buckle up, saving lives.

Bob Holthaus is trying to get counties to enact "good strong seat belt policies, reviewed and signed by employees" whether the state has stronger laws or not.

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety has scheduled a rally for HB 665 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the State Capitol. Call 800-800-2358 for details.

Questions, suggestions or tips for Lost on Main Street? E-mail pmcnichol@semissourian.com or call 573-388-3646.