[cripplecreek]

When our seatbelt law in Michigan was enacted they swore up and down that they would never stop someone for a seatbelt violation alone. Today they can do exactly that.

Seatbelts are a top notch idea but a really bad law.

[michaelbfree]

Same here in Washington State - now it's "Click it or Ticket" to the tune of about $100 or so. It shouldn't be a law, nothing more than another "income stream" for the great state of liberal loons in which I live.

However, I will also say that having been in a few close calls wearing one, it certainly stabilizes and helps the driver controll the car during spins, swerves, slides, etc. I hit a large pool of water at night one time doing about 70 and hydroplaned sideways pretty violently - don't know if I could have controlled it without having the belt on.

[crz]

50 bucks for the first time. Ask me, I know. Ho that trooper ever saw that I did not have it on is anyones guess. He was following traffic in the right hand lane of a 4 lane highway and the cars in front of him were turning. I took him and far as court and paid my fine. They asked me why I took it into court and then decided to pay and I told them that I wanted to make sure this cop was off the highway for that amount of time as he was not a safe driver. That one dang near got me another fine.

[mysterio]

When our seatbelt law in Michigan was enacted they swore up and down that they would never stop someone for a seatbelt violation alone. Today they can do exactly that.

Exact same thing in Indiana. They spent a whole year promising us it would never be a primary offense. And that trucks would always be exempt. Within 3 or 4 years, it was a primary offense. Now they've taken it a step further. They have a zero tolerance policy. No matter what they are doing, they have to nail you if they see you without a belt. And lately they have been referring to truck drivers like they were backwards hicks who are evil for not wearing their seatbelts. Here's my prediction : by the end of governor Mitch's term (and he's Republican, by the way) we will have mandatory seat belts in trucks, smoking banned in bars in Muncie and Indianapolis, and daylight saving time. And probably toll roads to boot.