Our Opinion: City Council dilutes seat belt proposal

News Tribune editorial

A public safety proposal presented at Thursday's Jefferson City Public Safety Committee meeting was derailed by discussion of other issues.

Mayor Carrie Tergin proposed a primary seat belt ordinance for Jefferson City. Discussion veered to topics including racial profiling, public education and personal freedoms.

In the end, the meeting adjourned with a diluted request for police to prepare a report about an increased awareness campaign.

The mayor's proposed primary seat belt ordinance would permit police to pull over a motorist who is not wearing a seat belt. If enacted, the city ordinance would be more strict than the state's secondary law, which prohibits officers from stopping an unrestrained motorist, unless another violation is observed.

Primary seat belt laws have been enacted in 40 Missouri cities, including Kansas City, and St. Louis County.

We prefer a primary seat belt law, and we prefer it statewide.

We believe driving is a privilege, not a right. And we believe wearing a seat belt is a fundamental safety measure consistent with being licensed to drive.

Rod Chapel, president of the local NAACP, and 5th Ward Councilman Larry Henry both raised the racial profiling concern.

We respect their sensitivity to that concern, but we believe any law enforcement officer bent on racial profiling would not need a primary seat belt law to do so.

The "personal liberty" argument was raised by both 1st Ward Councilman Jim Branch and 3rd Ward Councilman Bob Scrivner.

We find that argument weak. The privilege of driving requires obeying laws. Motorists are not granted liberties or freedoms; they must demonstrate skills to obtain a driver's license and are penalized - and may face revocation - for disobeying the rules of the road.

A primary seat belt ordinance is primarily a public-safety issue.

Distracted by secondary concerns, the council settled for a weak request for a possible educational effort, likely to duplicate existing public awareness campaigns.

The council missed an opportunity to show leadership by creating a primary seat belt ordinance.