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Senate approves moving seat-belt enforcement to primary on second reading after heated debate
Summary
Senate Bill 71, shifting passenger seat-belt enforcement to primary statewide, passed to third reading after a contested floor debate over civil-liberties, rural impacts and potential federal funding; supporters cited studies predicting mortality and economic benefits.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 6 voted to advance Senate Bill 71, a measure to make passenger seat-belt enforcement primary statewide, sending the bill to third reading after an extended and at times heated floor debate.
Senator Hale, the bill’s sponsor, framed the bill as a public-safety measure. She cited national studies and testimony from emergency-room physicians and traffic-safety experts, and said that moving to primary enforcement would increase seat-belt use and save lives. “Seat belt use saves lives,” she told the Senate, urging colleagues to consider the potential to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
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