Not wearing a seat belt could soon become a primary offense, that's if Senate Bill 227, continues to pick up steam. Monday, law makers voted to pass the bill out of the Senate committee and onto the full senate, with only one opposing vote.
"She came around a corner, too sharp, too wet, over corrected, rolled, not wearing seat belt and that is why she was thrown two hundred feet," said Sarah Bottoms.
Sarah Bottoms is describing the horrific car accident her 17-year-old daughter Brittaney Allen was in last year.
The accident so serious Brittaney died, but police say if she was wearing her seat belt the outcome would have been different. "She would be here today, the policeman said, this is the wreck that would have made that amount of difference in, she would be here today," said Bottoms.
It's accidents like Brittaney's that prompted Senator Hank Wilkins to author Senate Bill 227. "It's extremely important that people wear seatbelts, so many examples as a pastor, legislator, had a person had their seat belt on, lives would be saved," said Sen. Hank Wilkins.
But there are opponents of Senate Bill 227.
"I do not think they should be able to tell you to wear a seatbelt, because I think your taking too many freedoms away from people," said Grover Smith.
Despite the opposition, Senator Wilkins says the statistics prove there is a need for this law. According to USA Today, more than 500 died while riding in passenger vehicles in Arkansas in 2005, 68 percent of those who died, were not wearing their seat belts.
If passed into law, not wearing a seat belt would be a primary offense, that means police could pull you over simply for not buckling up.
"It's so important, to be a primary law, I was always fighting with Brittaney, and she would say if it was really important mom, it would be a real law," said Bottoms.
Senate Bill 227 now moves on to the full Senate. Right now, current law requires motorists to buckle up, but allows police to write a $30 ticket for the offense of not buckling up only after stopping vehicles on some other violation.
