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SALT LAKE CITY — A bill to toughen Utah’s seat belt laws passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday after lawmakers passionately weighed the importance of personal liberties and saving lives.
HB79, sponsored by Rep. Lee Perry, R-Perry, passed 42-32, making not wearing a seat belt a primary driving offense. The bill includes an amendment that would allow drivers a warning before receiving a ticket for not wearing their seat belts.
Utah needs “education, engineering and enforcement” to save lives, Perry said. The state has put “tons of money” toward seat belt safety education and has engineered many road elements — such as speed bumps and cement barriers — to make Utah’s roads safer, but the state can do more regarding enforcement to save lives, he said.
“We’ve hit a plateau. We are not getting more people to put their seat belts on,” Perry said. “This is the answer that will encourage them to take this step.”
Utah law designates that not wearing a seat belt is a primary offense for drivers and passengers under the age of 19, but it's a secondary offense for other adults, meaning officers had to first stop drivers for another violation before ticketing them for not wearing their seat belts.
HB79 would allow officers to stop and ticket drivers if they believe the driver or any of their passengers aren’t wearing their seat belts.
We've hit a plateau; we are not getting more people to put their seat belts on. This is the answer that will encourage them to take this step.
–Rep. Lee Perry, R-Perry
Some lawmakers, including Rep. Daniel McCay, R-Riverton, voted against HB79 over concerns that such laws are chipping away at Utahns’ personal liberties.
McCay said bills like HB79 are “slowly and silently” reducing people’s freedoms. He said a list of potential “safety bumpers” that lawmakers could require to shield residents could go on and on.
“At the end of all things being considered, give liberty one win this session,” McCay said.
Lawmakers who argued in favor of HB79 spoke of tragedies that result from people not wearing their seat belts. Perry has said his attempt to pass HB79 was personal this year, motivated by the death of a family friend’s child and another teen in a rollover accident.
“To me, if this law can save one life, it is well worth it,” said Rep. Bruce Cutler, R-Murray.
Perry said HB79 would not damage Utahns’ personal liberties, as they would still have the choice to not buckle up, just like how they can still choose to drive over the speed limit or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“Seat belts do save lives. (They) don’t take away personal choice,” Perry said. “We’re not taking anyone’s rights away.”
Rep. Fred Cox, R-West Valley City, argued the state could approach the issue and save lives in a different way.
“Instead of changing the law, perhaps we need to change our education in that area,” Cox said.
Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, countered Cox, saying HB79 would do just that — educate Utahns about the importance of wearing their seat belts.
“That’s what this bill does,” Eliason said. “It gives officers an opportunity to educate citizens about why this is a good practice.”
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Contributing: Alex Cabrero
