Va. Seat Belt Bill Heads Where Buckle-up Efforts Go to Die

Mandatory seat belt bill clears Virginia Senate

RICHMOND, Va. -- A bill that would subject people not wearing seat belts to a traffic ticket sailed through the Virginia Senate Wednesday but is headed toward a vote it tends to lose.

The bill passed 26-13 in the Senate but now heads to the House of Delegates, where efforts to make failure to buckle up a primary offense usually die.

Police can ticket drivers for not wearing a seat belt if they pull them over for other traffic violations, like speeding. This bill would make going belt-less a stoppable offense.

Sen. Henry Marsh (D-Richmond) voted for the bill despite concerns it could subject minority motorists to racial profiling.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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