What's happening
This bill requires all passengers aged sixteen and over to wear seat belts in motor vehicles, not just those in the front seat.
Why it matters
Expands seat belt requirements to all passengers aged sixteen and older, not just those in the front seat. , which could significantly increase overall safety by reducing injuries and fatalities in crashes involving backseat passengers.
Shifts legal responsibility for seat belt use to all individuals sixteen and older, regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle. , meaning adults and older teens in the back seat can now be ticketed for not wearing a seat belt.
May lead to increased enforcement and awareness of seat belt use throughout the vehicle. , potentially resulting in changes to public attitudes about backseat safety and influencing behaviors in other states.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Back Seat Belt Requirement
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Substituted by A6163
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.352
- Referred to transportation
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to codes
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 51–7
- Ordered to third reading cal.680
- Reported and committed to rules
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Back Seat Seatbelt Required
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Walter T. Mosley
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4336
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 7, 2019
Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to mandatory seat belt use
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 1229-c of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter 365 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
3. No person shall operate a motor vehicle unless such person is restrained by a safety belt approved by the commissioner. No person sixteen years of age or over shall be a passenger in [the front seat of] a motor vehicle unless such person is restrained by a safety belt approved by the commissioner.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10128-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to mandatory seat belt use
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to mandatory seat belt use
Purpose or general idea of bill
To improve the safety of motor vehicle occupants.
Summary of specific provisions
The bill amends subdivision 3 of § 1229-c of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to require the use of seat belts by all passengers sixteen y ears of age or older riding in any seating position in a motor vehicle.
Justification
The institution of a mandatory seat belt law for all front seat passen- gers has saved lives. According to the New York State Departmen t of Motor Vehicles, in 1984, the year the law was enacted, approximately 16% of individuals wore seat belts. By 2008, 24 years after the law was enacted, the compliance rate was up to 89%. The Governor's Traffic Safe- ty Committee has indicated that thirty percent of high way deaths in New York State occurred to occupants who were unrestrained. This is a great- er factor than alcohol or excessive speed.
Recognizing the serious injuries that may be caused to other passengers or the driver of a motor vehicle by an unrestrained occupant of the vehicle in the event of a collision, 19 states have adopted legislation requiring all rear seat occupants to wear safety restraints.
Extensive research has shown that unbelted rear seat passengers can kill and injure others. A sixty pound unbelted passenger traveling in the rear seat would exert a force of approximately 2,700 pounds, or more than one ton, into the driver's seat in a head-on crash at 30 miles per hour.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in fatal crashes, 76% of vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from the vehicle were killed. In 2007, only once percent of the occupants reported to have been using restraints were totally ejected from the vehicle, compared with 319& of the unrestrained occupants. As a result, safety experts believe that the use of a rear seat belt could prevent over two thirds of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes. Therefore, this legislation seeks to reduce automobile accident fatalities and casualties by requiring all occupants of a motor vehicle to buckle up.
Prior legislative history
2017 (A1582A) referred to transportation amend and recommit to transportation print number 1582a reported referred to codes reported referred to rules 2018 referred to codes 2016 (A.2449-8) Referred to Transportation 2015 (A.2449-8) Referred to Transportation 2014 (A.6657/S.389) Referred to Transportation 2013 (A.6657/S.389) Advanced to third reading 2011-12 (A.1306/S.1337) Advanced to third reading 2009-10 (A.225-A/S.1169-13) Advanced to third reading 2007-08 (A.104/S.174) 2005-06 (A.2157-A/5.3582-A) 2003-04 (A.903/S.118) 2002 (A.11063-A/S.6302-A)
Fiscal implications
None.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.