Seat Belt Policy
Seat Belt Policy in New Hampshire
Policy Background
Motor vehicle accidents and the fatal injuries sustained remain the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 4 and 34 (NHTSA, 2006). Teens and young adults aged 15-29 years are the most vulnerable to motor vehicle injuries and they account for 38% of motor vehicle crash injuries (CDC, 2016). Seat belt use has been reported to save approximately 13,000 lives each year and has prevented fatal injuries (CDC, 2011). In 2010, more than 30,000 deaths from vehicle accidents were recorded, 53% of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt (NCSL, 2012).
The first seat belt law in 1968 was a federal law mandating all vehicles to be fitted with a seat belt. After several research on the …show more content…
New Hampshire along with all other states in the US enacted a policy mandating the use of child seats and seat belts for children under 18 years but has no provision in place for adults. The child passenger safety policy has evolved over the years with constant improvements and has been adopted by all states in America. The successful implementation of the child passenger policy into law mandating children below the age of 18 to be restrained in motor vehicles led to a 79% percent decrease in child motor vehicle fatality rate since 1975 (IIHSHLDI, 2016).
To increase safety of motor vehicle users and the use of seat belt in the most vulnerable population, the proposed policy for New Hampshire is to have a seat belt policy requiring seat belt use for every adult in addition to the existing child safety policy. The proposed policy would use fines to regulate and enforce the seat belt policy; in hopes that there will be a reduction in the death rate from motor vehicle crashes in …show more content…
The $3.7 million the state receives is an incentive from the federal government to ensure all states enact a seat belt policy. The enforcement of the seat belt policy will be accomplished as a primary law.
Unintended Consequences
In terms of operations, the new policy will require the people fined primarily for not using seat belts. This will lead to operational changes in the ticketing system and workshops for the state police department when the bill is passed into law. There is also a possibility the seat belt law will increase the workload of local law enforcement agencies. This possibility will possibly lead to stress on the enforcement agency or will increase the cost for new staff to keep up with the additional workload.
Support Group
The National Transport Safety Board strongly supports the primary seat belt policy and strongly believes the enactment of the bill will increase the safety of road users. According to the March 2008 report by the National Highway Transport Safety Administration report, the seat belt law will save the state $400,000 and will save insurance companies $5.1 million in its first year of enactment (Citizens Count NH,
Policy Background
Motor vehicle accidents and the fatal injuries sustained remain the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 4 and 34 (NHTSA, 2006). Teens and young adults aged 15-29 years are the most vulnerable to motor vehicle injuries and they account for 38% of motor vehicle crash injuries (CDC, 2016). Seat belt use has been reported to save approximately 13,000 lives each year and has prevented fatal injuries (CDC, 2011). In 2010, more than 30,000 deaths from vehicle accidents were recorded, 53% of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt (NCSL, 2012).
The first seat belt law in 1968 was a federal law mandating all vehicles to be fitted with a seat belt. After several research on the …show more content…
New Hampshire along with all other states in the US enacted a policy mandating the use of child seats and seat belts for children under 18 years but has no provision in place for adults. The child passenger safety policy has evolved over the years with constant improvements and has been adopted by all states in America. The successful implementation of the child passenger policy into law mandating children below the age of 18 to be restrained in motor vehicles led to a 79% percent decrease in child motor vehicle fatality rate since 1975 (IIHSHLDI, 2016).
To increase safety of motor vehicle users and the use of seat belt in the most vulnerable population, the proposed policy for New Hampshire is to have a seat belt policy requiring seat belt use for every adult in addition to the existing child safety policy. The proposed policy would use fines to regulate and enforce the seat belt policy; in hopes that there will be a reduction in the death rate from motor vehicle crashes in …show more content…
The $3.7 million the state receives is an incentive from the federal government to ensure all states enact a seat belt policy. The enforcement of the seat belt policy will be accomplished as a primary law.
Unintended Consequences
In terms of operations, the new policy will require the people fined primarily for not using seat belts. This will lead to operational changes in the ticketing system and workshops for the state police department when the bill is passed into law. There is also a possibility the seat belt law will increase the workload of local law enforcement agencies. This possibility will possibly lead to stress on the enforcement agency or will increase the cost for new staff to keep up with the additional workload.
Support Group
The National Transport Safety Board strongly supports the primary seat belt policy and strongly believes the enactment of the bill will increase the safety of road users. According to the March 2008 report by the National Highway Transport Safety Administration report, the seat belt law will save the state $400,000 and will save insurance companies $5.1 million in its first year of enactment (Citizens Count NH,