A North Dakota House committee is recommending a “do-not-pass” on a bill that makes not buckling up a primary offense.
It’s currently a secondary offense, meaning drivers must be stopped for another reason, and a fine for not wearing your seat belt can be added at that time. A primary offense means an officer can stop you for that reason.
"Every five days in North Dakota, someone is thrown from their vehicle because they weren't wearing a seat belt," Ryan Gellner of the North Dakota Association of Counties told the House Transportation Committee. "That's a big problem -- that's a mom, or a dad, a brother, a sister, a son, a daughter -- someone who left in the morning, and were expected to return home, but never did."
A do-pass motion failed on an 8 to 5 vote . Then Rep. Rick Becker (R-Bismarck) offered the "do-not pass" motion.
"What it comes down to again, is just that aspect of, should government be imposing on what would otherwise be a personal choice?" Becker said.
The bill – SB 2121 – now goes to the House floor. It earlier passed the Senate 28 to 18.