South Dakota Group Seeks to Strengthen Traffic Safety Laws

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More than a dozen organizations and state Sen. Ben Nesselhuf of Vermillion have formed Safe and Sound South Dakota, a coalition they say is designed to promote traffic safety legislation.

In a release, the coalition said its priorities include strengthening the existing graduated driver’s licensing law, adopting primary enforcement of seat belts and extending and strengthening child booster-seat laws.

A national group, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, has listed the states it feels need better traffic safety laws.

“South Dakota is among 10 states recently identified as most lacking in traffic safety laws,” said Dr. Joan Nold, a neonatologist. “Safe and Sound South Dakota believes enhanced legislation will create a safer environment for inexperienced young drivers and children in South Dakota.”

Safe and Sound South Dakota has started a Facebook page to bring attention to auto safety issues. The release says the page also will be a forum to share news and state-specific data, inform supporters of events and provide legislative updates.

The release says graduated driver’s licensing is a system designed to introduce driving privileges in phases. The coalition says it effectively reduces the crash risk of new drivers.

By enacting primary enforcement of the seat-belt law, seat belt usage rates typically rise 10-15 percentage points, according to Safe and Sound South Dakota.

Currently, South Dakota uses secondary enforcement, meaning a law officer must have reason to stop a vehicle for another violation before an occupant can be ticketed for a seat belt violation.

Legislation earlier this year to make South Dakota’s seat-belt law include primary enforcement failed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that in 2007, 54 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were not wearing seat belts.

The release says motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults in the United States.