"No" to Funds, Reduced Accident Rates: Seatbelt Law Rejected by House Committee
It seems that neither the promise of federal funds nor the prospect of being able to save precious lives every year are enticing enough for Georgia’s lawmakers to pass a seatbelt law that would require all pickup truck drivers to buckle up, thus reducing the number of accident fatalities. The House Consumer Affairs subcommittee has voted 4-3 against a bill that would require pickup truck drivers above the age of 18 to fasten their seatbelts. The Senate had earlier approved the bill, like it has done over the last 3 years. Each year, the House has blocked the bill, ensuring that pickup truck drivers continue to be able to drive without buckling up, and increasing their chances of being killed or seriously injured in an accident.
With the rejection of the bill, Georgia continues to be the only state that does not require adult pickup drivers to compulsorily wear seatbelts. In January this year, I had listed out a series of benefits that could motivate lawmakers to pass the bill including a $4 million grant that the state could receive if it would bring pickup drivers under mandatory seatbelt laws. There had been expectations this year that the $4 million grant would be enough incentive for lawmakers to pass the bill. After all, Georgia is currently battling a budget deficit, and federal funds could have been used to kick start road safety improvement programs that have been stagnant for a while due to lack of funding. Proponents of the seatbelt law, including Atlanta car accident lawyers had hoped that the grant would result in funding for the expansion of Georgia’s trauma care network. The House however, has chosen to reject the bill, although supporters have moved to have the measure reconsidered another day.
The measure to make seatbelts mandatory for all pickup drivers has had huge support within the state, with a majority of Georgians supporting such measures. Critics of the bill argue that pickup drivers don’t need a law to be motivated to wear seatbelts, and that the prospect of walking away with minor injuries after an accident should be sufficient incentive for drivers to buckle up. It’s a fact that people are more likely to obey cold, hard laws. After all, most motorists are aware of the dangers of drunk driving, and yet thousands of people are killed or seriously injured in alcohol-related crashes every year. Those numbers would have been far greater if weren't for the presence of strong DUI laws that prevent so many from getting behind the wheel in an intoxicated state.
The seatbelt law could result in approximately 24 lives saved per year and more than 400 injuries prevented. That alone should be enough motivation to pass the bill.
