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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Joseph Markosek |
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Transportation Committee Chairman Markosek to introduce seat belt bill
HARRISBURG, March 17 – Failing to wear a seat belt would be a primary offense in Pennsylvania under legislation House Transportation Committee Chairman Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny/Westmoreland, plans to introduce.
Markosek said primary enforcement would send a message to drivers that Pennsylvania considers safety belt use mandatory for the safe operation of a motor vehicle.
"Wearing a seat belt should be second nature to all motorists," Markosek said. "My bill would make it clear that it's not OK to forgo wearing a seat belt just because you didn't get caught making an additional violation.
"My job as Transportation Committee chairman is to improve and enact protections specifically relating to transportation," Markosek added. "Stubbornness or arguments that this would infringe on personal rights cannot negate proven statistics. Wearing a seat belt drastically increases your odds of surviving a vehicular accident."
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the failure to buckle up contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety-related behavior.
Markosek added that Pennsylvania also has a financial incentive to establish failure to wear a safety belt as a primary offense, because of provisions in the most recent federal transportation authorization law, also known as SAFETEA-LU. Pennsylvania would be eligible for up to $6.3 million in highway funding if Markosek's legislation is signed by the governor by June 30 and if law enforcement officers begin issuing citations by Sept. 30.
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