Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Seatbelts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Festus amends code to make seat‑belt violations a primary offense
Summary
Council passed Bill 48 10 amending section 3 70.16 of the Festus code to classify failure to wear a seat belt as a primary offense, following a recommendation from Police Chief Wendell and changes in state statutes.
The Festus City Council adopted Bill 48 10, amending section 3 70.16 of the city code to make failure to wear a seat belt a primary offense within city limits.
A staff report said the ordinance follows changes in state law and came at the recommendation of Police Chief Wendell. The staff presenter said the state moved seat‑belt violations from a secondary to a primary offense, and the city code is being updated to align with that change so officers can enforce seat‑belt use directly.
Council suspended rules and read the bill for a second time in title only. Roll call recorded members present voting yes and the ordinance passed.
Councilmembers during general remarks connected the change to the new traffic enforcement unit the city is establishing, and one councilmember said the seat‑belt ordinance should help that unit's efforts to improve road safety.
