Ross Hausfeld -, Minot

This week our State Senate passed Bill 2362 — an expansion of mandatory seat belt coverage to all passengers of a motor vehicle and more pertinently, granting police power to initiate traffic stops solely for failure to comply. Currently in North Dakota it is law to wear your seat belt in the front seats but an officer may only ticket you incidentally in the course of a traffic stop for a different reason. Now of course with every discussion regarding this topic I have to preface my statements with this: I wear my safety belt and I do so all the time. I encourage everyone reading to do so as well.

My issue is this is more police power; more micromanaging of every second of everyone’s business at all times. Despite being a Republican Super Majority state we have many legislators that don’t live up to the reputation or moniker of limited government or conservatism. I feel many politicians simply run as a Republican, even though they may not truly be, because in most of our state it is the only viable path to electability. I mention here that Minot’s very own Senator David Hogue is a sponsor of this bill and voted in favor of it.

Taking a look at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s seat belt usage observation data bears out that there is little, if any, long term correlation between usage and so-called “primary enforcement” of this law. Many states without primary enforcement achieve higher usage rates than North Dakota such as Montana, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Conversely, Mississippi has a lower average seat belt usage than North Dakota despite having “primary enforcement” for more than ten years. Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana are all within 2-3 percentage points of North Dakota’s seat belt usage, yet they too have had “primary enforcement” for many years.

I understand the desire to see other adults make good choices for themselves but the data does not bear out the idea that overbearing police power, traffic seat belt checkpoints, and intimidation are the path to achieving a high seat belt usage. Therefore I encourage anyone reading to please, contact your State Representatives and ask them to vote “NO” on Senate Bill 2362.

I don’t believe yet another concession to police powers is frankly worth a statistically negligible, and theoretical, increase in usage. I have already had plenty of being told what to wear and when by the government for the 2020s, thank you very much.