The Governor’s Highway Safety Program reminds motorists that the Seat Belt Use Enhancement Act (Senate Bill 774) goes into effect tomorrow, requiring all motor vehicle passengers to wear safety belts. The penalty for violating the law is a $10 fine. Violators will receive warnings until July 1, 2007. People with a medical or physical condition that prevents them from being able to wear a safety belt as well as people in delivery and agricultural vehicles are exempt.

 

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that drivers who are buckled have five times the risk of dying in a collision if rear seat passengers are not buckled. The study also found that 80 percent of the deaths from crashes could have been prevented if the rear seat occupants had been buckled.

 

The law was recommended by North Carolina’s Executive Committee for Highway Safety, which was established by the N.C. Department of Transportation in April 2003 to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes and injuries on the state’s highways. The committee continues to identify, prioritize, and promote highway safety initiatives in an effort to save lives and reduce injuries.