Tougher seatbelt law passes Virginia Senate committee
January 17, 2008 | Virginia News
The Senate Transportation Committee on Thursday approved, 8-4, a bill sponsored by Sen. Patricia Ticer, D-Alexandria, that would make the violation of the state's seat belt law a primary offense, meaning an officer could stop and ticket you solely for not buckling up.
The current law specifies that not wearing a seat belt is a secondary offense, and violators can only be cited if they were stopped for another suspected infraction.
The proposal, SB649, came weeks after the deadliest year on Virginia roads since 1981. Virginia State Police announced earlier this month that 1,012 people were killed in traffic wrecks in 2007.
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