The Mississippi Legislature, meeting in Jackson, has strengthened its seat belt law by passing House Bill 409 which allows law enforcement to stop a driver for not wearing a seat belt and Georgia is considering removing the pickup truck exemption from its primary enforcement law.
“Primary enforcement of seat belt laws has proven to be the most effective means of increasing seat belt usage and saving lives,” William Stander, assistant vice president and regional manager for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America said. “We are pleased the Mississippi Legislature has taken this important step in making the roadways safer and urge Gov. Barbour to sign the legislation.”
Mississippi will become the 22nd state to enact primary seat belt enforcement legislation. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belt use rates averaged 84 percent in primary states compared to 73 percent in secondary enforcement states. In addition, a new study by the Institute for Highway Safety found that when states strengthen their laws from secondary to primary, driver death rates decline by an estimated seven percent. The Institute estimates that 302 lives could have been saved in Mississippi since 1996, if the state had a primary enforcement law.
Seat belt legislation is also being considered in Georgia this year that would require passengers in pickup trucks to buckle up. “PCI is working with other groups to support the elimination of the seat belt exemption for pickup truck drivers from the state’s primary enforcement law,” Robert Herlong, vice president and regional manager for PCI said. “Georgia is one of two states that don’t require adults in pickup trucks to wear seat belts. The failure to wear seat belts may account for the higher fatality rate for drivers and passengers in pickup trucks.”
The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety reports that the seat belt usage rate for pickup truck occupants is only 62.5 percent, compared to 83.5 percent for those in automobiles. The House Motor Vehicle Committee has approved House Bill 18 and a companion bill, Senate Bill 157 is in the Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
PCI is composed of more than 1,000 member companies, representing the broadest cross-section of insurers of any national trade association. PCI members write over $184 billion in annual premium, 40.7 percent of the nation’s property/casualty insurance. Member companies write 50.8 percent of the U.S. automobile insurance market, 39.6 percent of the homeowners market, 33.5 percent of the commercial property and liability market, and 41.6 percent of the private workers compensation market.
Topics Legislation Georgia Mississippi
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