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Monday, December 29, 2008

Ind. Law - "Who must use seat belts?"

Ken Kosky's "It's the Law" column in the NWI Times this week focuses on Indiana's seat belt law. Some quotes from the story:

Just a few years ago, people in pickup trucks were not required to wear seat belts.

But Indiana law now requires people, whether they're in a car or truck, to wear a seat belt. Children younger than 8 must be restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat.

And, whereas police once had to stop a person for an offense like speeding in order to ticket them for a seat belt violation, authorities can now pull a person over solely for not wearing a seat belt.

Indiana law also makes it illegal to ride in the bed of a pickup truck or to have more occupants in a vehicle than there are seat belts.

The strengthening of the seat belt law and the use of Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement blitzes has combined to increase seat belt usage, officials say. * * *

There are some people who don't have to wear seat belts, including those who have a doctor's note exempting them, delivery drivers who make frequent stops, driver examiners, people in a farm truck on a farm, people in a parade, people riding in the back of a recreational vehicle or ambulance, people in the sleeping area of a semi, people riding in a public utility vehicle in an emergency and occupants other than the operator of a garbage truck, truck on a construction site or tow truck.

The child restraint laws don't apply in the cases of school buses, taxi cabs, ambulances, religious or youth vehicles that seat at least 10, antique vehicles, motorcycles, law enforcement vehicles, vehicles being used in an emergency and funeral vehicles in a procession or returning from one.

Readers may recall a controversy over whether occupants of a truck bed are actually covered by the seat belt law. See, for example, this ILB entry from July 10, 2007. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not aware that the statutes have been clarified.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 29, 2008 10:09 AM
Posted to Indiana Law