Law enforcement saturated the state campaigning with threats of checkpoints and pullovers for minor offenses to search citizens for alcohol. I wonder what prohibition was like. See here is the big lie. The campaign slogan is "click it or ticket." What our government is not telling you is the that a seat belt violation is a secondary violation. If you are not wearing your seat belt, as the law currently stands, an officer cannot pull you over. Utah Code Ann. states pursuant to 41-6a-1803
(1) (a) The operator of a motor vehicle operated on a highway shall:
(i) wear a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt;…
(4) For a person 19 years of age or older who violates Subsection (1)(a)(i) or (2), enforcement by a state or local law enforcement officer shall be only as a secondary action when the person has been detained for a suspected violation of Title 41, Motor Vehicles, other than Subsection (1)(a)(i) or (2), or for another offense.
So how do the police get around the secondary action issue? They suspect another violation like your license plate light is out, your insurance that you bought last week is not valid on their computer, or you touched a line while driving your car.
Here is a link to the KSL story on the Memorial Day round up. The highlights of the story are:
- 40 DUI Arrests made
- Two fatal accidents
- Don’t speed and wear your seat belt
Video Courtesy of KSL.com