Posted on 02/04/2009 7:48:55 AM PST by DaveyB
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Drivers better buckle up or pay the price: More cash-strapped states want to give law enforcement officers the authority to pull over motorists just for not wearing their seat belts. More than a dozen states that are considering making the switch to primary seat-belt enforcement laws need to do so before July to be eligible for millions in federal money. One of those states is Ohio, which would get $26.8 million if it changes its law. Currently, officers in the state must first have some other reason to stop drivers over before issuing seat-belt citations. States without primary seat-belt enforcement that want the federal money must pass a bill and have it signed by the governor by June 30 - and begin issuing citations by Sept. 30 - to qualify for federal funds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federal money attached to seat-belt enforcement can only be spent for highway-related projects.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
“I know ... let’s make everyone a criminal so we can have the courts pick their pockets and justify the bureaucracy”.
/standard government operation mode
Gosh, and I thought they just cared about my safety. I’m crushed.
Renting Freedom has been the platform of the left for years
Its common sense to wear your seatbelt. The statistics on this are beyond any dispute, or debate.
Cracks me up when some make this a ‘Constitutional Question’.
People routinely die from ‘theory’, every day actually in my experience.
A massive infringement on personal privacy . . . I believe in wearing seatbelts and never drive until everyone in my car is buckled up, but that is MY DECISION and nobody else’s. To say that I’m a criminal because I don’t buckle up is an attack on my freedom.
If these communities are so damned cash-strapped, why don’t they have the guts to raise taxes or cut back on spending (I’d rather they cut back, personally).
I’m so tired of seatbelt and children seat restrictions that are nobody’s business except the owner-operator of the vehicle. For God’s sake, LEAVE US ALONE!
The Dems in Minnesota are absolutely rabid on this issue.....
In Idaho, several years ago, the seat belt laws hit the books as a secondary offense. This meant that you could only be charged with a violation of the law if you had been charged with some other moving violation (speeding, etc...). Those promoting this said, it’ll never be a primary violation...
Amen to all you said. This is only an attempt to extort more $$$ from the masses. Time to push back...
Seat belt wearing is a big problem, and Big Government should just nip it in the bud. Let there be a huge fine for just thinking about not wearing the seat belt. With nationalized auto industry, it would be easy as pie to force automakers to install on every new car a cranial waveform detector just above the driver’s head. Legislation will force automakers to direct their engineers to figure out what alpha patterns indicate an intention to not wear their seatbelt. This could all be automated, with a signal going back to Washington, where a new agency would process, fold and spindle a hefty fine for the bad thoughts. These fines will accumulate and eventually be able to pay off the cost of all the bailouts...
Wow. I sure hope you’re being sarcastic. But you probably aren’t.
This has nothing to do with “common sense”. It’s all about giving an LEO a reason to pull you over, write you a ticket which equals dollars and start looking for other reasons to detain and arrest you.
Agree. There are battles to be fought.
IMO, this is NOT one of them.
Turns out they were lying as usual.
I have seen a lib’s head spin around when I stated
“just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean the gov’t has the authority to do/require it”.
What say you?
The history of seatbelts is a bit more sordid than that. Automakers were encourged, but not required, to install them “They will never be mandatory.”) Then, they were required to be installed, but you didn’t have to wear them. “We will never require that they be worn.” Then children were required, “but adults would never be required.” Then, adults were required “but it will never be a primary offense.” ... Lather, rinse, repeat.
I always wear my seatbelt, as does everyone in a vehicle I drive.
That said, these laws are absurd intrusion into personal life.
“I’m writing you a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt”
“But, I’m wearing a seatbelt”
“You weren’t when I saw you go by”
“Yes I was!”
...
So, do you waste a day in court, or do you just pay the “driving tax”?
This is just another thing that turns LEOs into Revenue Generating Machines instead of protecting the public from the real criminals. But what else is new.
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