COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio drivers may soon need to buckle up or face paying a hefty fine.
Ohio is just one of many cash-strapped states considering changing seatbelt enforcement to a primary law. The switch would give officers the authority to pull over motorists just for not wearing their seatbelts – and penalties could be similar to other traffic violations like speeding.
While the law could help keep Ohioans safe, the switch could also mean millions of dollars in federal funding.
If Ohio passes the law before July, the state could receive $26.8 million, NBC 4’s Amy Basista reported.
The money could only be spent for highway-related projects.
“You have at least one person per day dying on Ohio’s highways because they are unbelted,” said Tom Hunter, of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
But not everyone is on board with the plan.
“There are a lot of things that should be decided by the individuals,” said Rep. William Batchelder.
“A lot of people want to tie this to an economic issue. It’s not an economic issue. It’s a safety issue,” Hunter said.
Currently, 26 other states already have primary seatbelt enforcement laws.
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