REPORT TITLE:
Seat Belts Use


DESCRIPTION:
Increases fine from $20 to $45 for each violation of mandatory
seat belt use; requires backseat passengers between the ages of
four and seventeen to use seat belts. (SB2311 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2311
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO MANDATORY USE OF SEATBELTS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 291-11.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended as follows:
 
 3      1.  By amending subsection (a) to read:
 
 4      "(a)  Except as otherwise provided by law, no person:
 
 5      (1)  Shall operate a motor vehicle upon any public highway
 
 6           unless the person is restrained by a seat belt assembly
 
 7           and any passengers in the front or back seat of the
 
 8           motor vehicle are restrained by a seat belt assembly if
 
 9           between the ages of four and [fifteen] fourteen, or are
 
10           restrained pursuant to section 291-11.5 if under the
 
11           age of four; 
 
12      (2)  If fifteen years of age or more shall be a passenger in
 
13           the front seat of a motor vehicle being operated upon
 
14           any public highway unless such person is restrained by
 
15           a seat belt assembly[.]; and
 
16      (3)  If between the ages of fifteen and seventeen, shall be
 
17           a passenger in the back seat of a motor vehicle being
 
18           operated upon any public highway unless such person is
 
19           restrained by a seat belt assembly.
 

 
Page 2                                                     2311
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        H.D. 1
                                                        

 
 1      As used in this section "seat belt assembly" means the seat
 
 2 belt assembly required to be in the motor vehicle under any
 
 3 federal motor vehicle safety standard issued pursuant to Public
 
 4 Law 89-563, the federal National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety
 
 5 Act of 1966, as amended, unless original replacement seat belt
 
 6 assemblies are not readily available.  If replacement assemblies
 
 7 are not readily available, seat belts of federally approved
 
 8 materials with similar protective characteristics may be used.
 
 9 Such replacement seat belt assemblies shall be permanently marked
 
10 by the belt manufacturer indicating compliance with all
 
11 applicable federal standards."
 
12      2.  By amending subsection (e) to read:
 
13      "(e)  A person who fails to comply with the requirements of
 
14 this section shall be subject to a fine of [$20] $45 for each
 
15 violation."
 
16      SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
17 New statutory material is underscored.
 
18      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.