EDITORIAL: Seat belt law change would save even more lives

At long last, a Nebraska state senator has had the courage to challenge the Nebraska seat belt law. Sen. John Harms of Scottsbluff has announced that he will seek a change making the law a primary violation. This means that an officer can pull over a driver for not wearing a seat belt. Current state law says the driver must be pulled over for another violation before the driver can be cited for not wearing the seat belt. 

Harms says he is planning to submit the proposal in January.

There is no disputing that the seat belt device saves lives. It is the simplest, most economical way to lower fatalities across the board. There is no reason for not using a seat belt, except perhaps the laziness factor. The few seconds and few motions required to buckle up is best form of preventative actions that a person can do. It doesn't cost any money. It doesn't hurt the driver or anyone else. It doesn't infringe on anyone else. All it does is save lives.

Perhaps some resist using seat belts out of ignorance, although that seems  to be a stretch these days. The greater influence may be stubborness or stupidity. A popular slogan may be appropriate in this instance: Ignorance can be fixed: stupidity is forever.

Speaking of money, however, there is a financial incentive to change the law. If Nebraska can change  the seat belt law to a primary offense by September 30, 2009, it will garner another $7.5 million if federal highway funding. If not implemented by that date, the money melts away. Gone. Outtahere. Good-bye.

Of course, the initial incentive to change  the law should be to simply save lives. The added bonus of extra federal funding would be extraneous. But we'll take it.