They can't stop you in WA for not wearing a seatbelt unless you commit another moving violation and there's no mention of this in the article.
Second, this article is out of Seattle not Spokane ?
That’s how the law started out, but ‘to save us from ourselves’, now it is a violation on its own. My daughter was just pulled over because the officer, who was going the other direction, wheeled his car around and stopped her because he thought she didn’t have her seatbelt on. Found out he was wrong, but proceeded to check her registration, license etc.
Used to be the seat belt citation was only to be given if you got pulled over for something else.
That didn’t last long. Now it’s a primary offense.
Looking over the RCW, I don’t see any exemption for the dead in the seatbelt law. The cop missed a chance to write a ticket on the hearse. If you are going to shoot yourself in the foot in the PR department, might as well go all the way.
I think the only state that still doesn’t have a primary seatbelt law is New Hampshire, and even thy may have succumbed by now.