Feds Offer WI $15 Million To Change Seat Belt Law /

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Feds Offer WI $15 Million To Change Seat Belt Law

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Posted: 2:49 PM Oct 6, 2008
Last Updated: 2:49 PM Oct 6, 2008
Email Address: news@weau.com

8 comments

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The federal government is offering Wisconsin a multimillion dollar incentive to change its seat belt enforcement law.

The state now allows police to ticket drivers for not wearing seat belts only if they've been pulled over for another offense.

The federal government wants the state to change the law by July 1 to allow police to pull over drivers just for failing to wear seat belts.

If the state complies, the federal government will give it a one-time incentive of about $15 million and possibly up to $20 million.

But former police officer and state Rep. Leon Young of Milwaukee says there's concern police would use the change to target minorities.

All Wisconsin's neighboring states, except Minnesota, allow police to stop drivers for not wearing seat belts.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: John Location: Eau Claire on Oct 7, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Seat belt laws should be taken off the books anyway. I have and always will wear my seat belt. I don't need to have my time wasted because a cop thinks I am not wearing a seat belt because I happened to wear a matching shirt. We do not need laws to enforce common sense actions. Too many people anyway; if some people do not have the brains to wear protective equipment then not too much is lost when they get spattered all over the highway.

Posted by: Anonymous on Oct 6, 2008 at 11:04 PM
Even if you do get a ticket, it is only $10! Raise it to $100 and maybe people won't have the attitude that it is so cheap that they will just pay it! You put your kids in a car seat for their safety but yet you would rather pay a small fine instead of possibly saving your own life and be able to spend more time with your loved ones? I know that I'm stupid but that just makes no sense to me! I guess I just love my family more than some others.

Posted by: Todd Location: Eau Claire on Oct 6, 2008 at 09:32 PM
I love how they call bribes "incentives" in politics. This is the problem in politics now a days, politics are supposed to work from the ground up with the local and state governments having more power than the national government but its gone completely backwards. The politicians like it this way though because their is not much you and I can do to the feds but the local government we can. Its become all about power.

Posted by: Scott Location: Eau Claire on Oct 6, 2008 at 08:11 PM
What a joke. Mr. Young you are a coward and disgust me.

Posted by: shannon Location: minny on Oct 6, 2008 at 06:59 PM
this is about the dumbest thing ive seen so far. Mkae a fedral law and make liberal wisconsin to change their law and save the taxpayers money. God get some brains us govt already!

Posted by: DMS Location: Eau Claire on Oct 6, 2008 at 06:58 PM
I prefer not to wear a seatbelt this is america freedom of choice, seatbelts don't always save lives

Posted by: Mary Location: Chippewa on Oct 6, 2008 at 05:49 PM
I guess I don't care one way or the other, but that's an awful lot of money that it doesn't seem the government has to be giving away right now.

Posted by: Jon Location: Eau Claire on Oct 6, 2008 at 03:46 PM
Easy fix-just wear your seatbelt and you won't have to worry about being targeted.