By: Josh Gentry
5/26/2015

It’s time to buckle up those seat belts; otherwise you could be paying the price. One car after another was pulled over on Tuesday, May 12 as a set of new laws were put into effect. One of these bills makes not wearing a seat belt a primary offense for drivers over the age of 19, instead of a secondary offense. In other words, drivers can now be pulled over for not wearing a seat belt.

The new bill will allow officers to give a warning for the first time a driver breaks the law; however, after the second time, the driver can be fined $45. This can be waived as long as the person takes a 30 minute safety course online though.

Previously, officers were only able to cite drivers for not using a seat belt if they were pulled over for another offense, but the failure to wear a seat belt was still considered a primary offense for the driver and other passengers.