Friday, July 14, 2006

Seat Belt Restrictions

All vehicle passengers, even those in the back seat, would have to buckle up in North Carolina under legislation that the General Assembly approved this week. The bill (SB 774) mandates seatbelt use for all riders in a passenger vehicle. The law would take effect on December 1, 2006 but for the first seven months – until next July – law enforcement officers would not issue tickets, only warnings. After that, the law hits back-seat passengers who are not wearing a seat belt with a $10 ticket; however, it would only be a secondary violation, meaning law enforcement cannot stop a vehicle solely for a seat belt infraction. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for his signature.

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