Insurer Groups Clash On Seatbelt Law Enforcement

By Steven Brostoff, Washington Editor

NU Online News Service, Feb. 19, 12:04 p.m. EST,Washington?Two insurer trade groups are at odds overlegislation that would penalize states that fail to enact primaryenforcement seatbelt laws.[@@]

The Senate measure is supported by consumers and safetyorganizations and the American Insurance Association. But theProperty Casualty Insurers Association said while it backs seatbeltuse, it doesn't support the bill.

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Washington-basedalliance, is pushing for enactment of S. 1993, which isco-sponsored by Sens. John Warner, R-Va.; Hillary Rodham Clinton,D-N.Y.; and Mike DeWine, R-Ohio.

Under the legislation, states would be given three years toenact a primary enforcement seatbelt law, which allows policeofficers to stop and issue citations to drivers who are not wearinga seatbelt.

This contrasts to a secondary seatbelt law, which allows policeofficers to issue seatbelt citations only if they stop a vehiclefor some other violation.

States that do not enact a law within three years could lose twopercent of their federal highway funds. Continued failure to enacta law could lead to a loss of four percent of federal highwayfunds.

Advocates says that only 20 states now have primary enforcementseatbelt laws, despite research showing that these laws increasethe use of seatbelts by 10-to-15 percentage points.

Advocates President Judith Lee Stone told a recent pressbriefing that the need for federal legislation is urgent.

"The pace of adoption by states of this lifesaving law has beenpainfully slow, only about one per year," she said. "At this rate,it will be the year 2035 before we have all states with primaryenforcement laws and higher seatbelt use rates."

According to Advocates, seatbelts save some 13,000 lives everyyear. In addition, Advocates says, some 7,000 people die every yearbecause they do not use seat belts.

David Snyder, vice president and assistant general counsel withthe Washington-based American Insurance Association, said S. 1993could save thousands of lives.

"There is absolutely no question that seatbelts save lives andprevent injuries," he said. "Yet studies show that the UnitedStates lags behind many other developed nations with respect toseatbelt use."

But at least one insurance group, the Des Plaines, Ill.-basedProperty Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), isquestioning S. 1993, stating that state legislatures should makethe decision on primary seatbelt laws.

"PCI is a strong supporter of seatbelt use," said Anne Sittmann,a PCI spokesperson. "However, PCI does not believe the federalgovernment should be withholding highway funds from the states forthe purpose of enforcing seatbelt laws."