Bismarck, North Dakota – In North Dakota, starting on August 1, everyone operating or riding in a passenger vehicle will be required to use a seatbelt after the legislature passed and Gov. Doug Burgum signed a primary seatbelt bill into law.
Everyone in a car will need to be strapped up according to the main law. A driver cannot now receive a seatbelt ticket without first being stopped for another moving offense.
Sen. Dean Rummel of Dickinson claimed that his prior experience as a member of a rural fire rescue squad contributed to his decision to support the legislation.
“I’ve seen enough accidents where people were not belted in and they lost their lives,” Rummel said. “With this, we’re hoping that we have a much greater participation from the public in using safety belts.”
Rummel claimed that buckling up is necessary for the use of the vehicle’s safety features.
“If you’re not, of course, rollovers are the worst,” Rummel said. “You get thrown from the vehicle and you have a three to four times greater likelihood of dying in that situation. If we’re strapped in, our chance of surviving is so much higher.”
Rummel claims that the North Dakota state’s major hospitals treat more than $200 million worth of injuries each year as a result of drivers not using seatbelts.
Since the bill was passed, Rummel has drawn varying responses from the general public.
“Some people think it’s a violation of their personal rights,” Rummel said. “Others feel it’s about time we had a primary seatbelt law to save lives because a bill like this will save lives.”
According to the legislation, the driver would incur a $20 punishment for each passenger who was not buckled up.
