Fast Facts:
(West Memphis, AR 7/1/09) West Memphis police Officer Lance Ellis has been working patrol in Arkansas for over a dozen years. He, like many Arkansas drivers, is getting used to following a new rule.
"This citation is about not having your seat belt on. Arkansas is now a primary offense state, you have to have it on," said Ellis as he pulled over a driver.
It took only about 20 seconds for Officer Ellis to spot a driver without his seat belt on. He found driver, after driver, not buckled. It's a new rule that drivers like Tom Green will have to get used to.
"It's kind of confining when you're going right around the corner," said Green.
Not wearing a seat belt has been an offense for years, but before today you had to commit another traffic offense like speeding or not stopping at a stop sign to be pulled over.
"We work accidents daily that things would be different if the occupants had their seat belts on," said West Memphis Officer Lance Ellis.
Ellis says the new law will prevent a lot of serious injuries. And a lot more people with suspended licenses and warrants will be apprehended.
Officer Ellis admits spotting the seat belt offenders is sometimes tough to do. He figures with time, that drivers will make a habit of clicking it before they are ticketed.
The law makes Arkansas the 27th state in the US to have a primary seat belt law. In 2007, 281deadly Arkansas car crashes were results of drivers not wearing their seat belts.
- New rules will mean forming some new habits for Arkansas drivers
- Starting Wednesday, not wearing a seat belt is a primary offense
- Police can pull you over for not being buckled without committing another traffic offense
(West Memphis, AR 7/1/09) West Memphis police Officer Lance Ellis has been working patrol in Arkansas for over a dozen years. He, like many Arkansas drivers, is getting used to following a new rule.
"This citation is about not having your seat belt on. Arkansas is now a primary offense state, you have to have it on," said Ellis as he pulled over a driver.
It took only about 20 seconds for Officer Ellis to spot a driver without his seat belt on. He found driver, after driver, not buckled. It's a new rule that drivers like Tom Green will have to get used to.
"It's kind of confining when you're going right around the corner," said Green.
Not wearing a seat belt has been an offense for years, but before today you had to commit another traffic offense like speeding or not stopping at a stop sign to be pulled over.
"We work accidents daily that things would be different if the occupants had their seat belts on," said West Memphis Officer Lance Ellis.
Ellis says the new law will prevent a lot of serious injuries. And a lot more people with suspended licenses and warrants will be apprehended.
Officer Ellis admits spotting the seat belt offenders is sometimes tough to do. He figures with time, that drivers will make a habit of clicking it before they are ticketed.
The law makes Arkansas the 27th state in the US to have a primary seat belt law. In 2007, 281deadly Arkansas car crashes were results of drivers not wearing their seat belts.
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