Senate To Pass Seatbelt Bill To Save Lives

(Albany, NY) The Senate will pass legislation amending the Vehicle and Traffic Law to require all adult passengers of motor vehicles to wear a seatbelt for the first time, including backseat passengers. The legislation advanced today will save New Yorkers’ lives. According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost half of the 37,133 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017 were not wearing a seatbelt.

“Wearing seatbelts saves lives. That is why we need to ensure our state’s residents use them,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “I commend Senator David Carlucci for sponsoring this bill and working to see it passed. The Senate Majority will continue to advance legislation to keep New Yorkers safe.”

The legislation advanced by the Senate Majority, Senate bill S.4336, sponsored by Senator David Carlucci, will require the use of seatbelts by all passengers sixteen years of age or older riding in any seating position in a passenger motor vehicle.

Bill Sponsor, Senator David Carlucci said, “Requiring the use of a seat belt in the back seat will save lives and prevent tragedies. Numbers do not lie. If you fail to buckle up in the backseat, experts say you are 2 times more likely to be killed and 8 times more likely to be seriously injured. Thank you to AAA and all the advocates who supported this life-saving bill. Now we ask the Governor to sign this legislation into law as soon as possible.”

Chair of the Transportation Committee, Senator Tim Kennedy said, “As New York continues to identify ways to make our roads more secure, passenger safety must be prioritized. According to a report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 1 in 3 drivers has had a friend or relative seriously injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident. This legislation seeks to proactively prevent future fatalities and serious injuries in automobile crashes by enacting stronger seatbelt standards, and ensuring that all occupants in vehicles are properly protected.”