Facing tough economic times, NH reconsiders seat belt law
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New Hampshire is the only state in the country that does not have a seat belt law, says the Eagle-Tribune in an article on Thursday. On Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee considered a potential seat belt law that would allow NH to qualify for federal dollars.
There are two different types of seat belt laws: primary enforcement and secondary enforcement. Primary enforcement laws allow police officers to pull over a driver primarily because that driver was not wearing a seat belt. Massachusetts and Rhode Island, for example, have secondary enforcement laws, which allow officers to ticket drivers not wearing seat belts only if they have been pulled over for another infraction.
If the NH legislature passes a primary enforcement law, the federal government could give out as much as $3.6 million. This money could be used for Department of Transportation projects and for advertisements and education about the law.
The law could also provide NH with money-saving benefits in the future.
In the first year of a primary law, New Hampshire could save $400,000, residents could save $1.2 million and insurance companies doing business in the state could save about $5.1 million due to the decrease in injuries in car crashes, according to a March 2008 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration report.
"It costs us hundreds and hundreds of thousands of thousands of dollars to take care of people hurt in car accidents," said Rep. Robert Williams, D-Concord, chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
The new law would also increase the amount of drivers that actually wear seat belts in NH. According to a 2008 state survey, only 69% of NH drivers wear seat belts compared with the national average of 83%.
For information on car safety and accident prevention, as well as information on seat belt laws, click here.