Power to the Prosecutors!

Well, not exactly, but “backers” want to give police more excuses to stop people in cars: Missouri wants what Illinois has: a tougher seat belt law:

Backers of a tougher seat belt law in Missouri are holding a pep rally next week to get psyched up for the upcoming legislative battle in Jefferson City. They’re about to take another crack at a primary seat belt law.

Police in Missouri can write a ticket for not wearing a seat belt only if the motorist was pulled over for another violation. A primary seat belt law, which has failed in the legislature every year since 2000, gives police authority to pull people over solely for not buckling up.

As a former young man who rode in motor vehicles, I understand this really isn’t about giving police a pretext to stop you and check your story, since they’ll do that for license plate light infractions that aren’t, wow, look at that, infractious. This will, however, give them a reason to stop people and part them from some of their money.

To save a projected 90 lives a year. But that’s projected, whereas the loss of freedom and the loss of citizens’ money, will be real.

Buy My Books!
Buy John Donnelly's Gold Buy The Courtship of Barbara Holt Buy Coffee House Memories