SENATE BILL No. 997

 

 

February 17, 2004, Introduced by Senators McMANUS, BIRKHOLZ, KUIPERS, ALLEN and GEORGE and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan vehicle code,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 710e (MCL 257.710e), as amended by 1999 PA              

                                                                                

    29.                                                                         

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 710e.  (1) This section does not apply to a driver or                  

                                                                                

2   passenger of any of the following:                                          

                                                                                

3       (a) A motor vehicle manufactured before January 1, 1965.                    

                                                                                

4       (b) A bus.                                                                  

                                                                                

5       (c) A motorcycle.                                                           

                                                                                

6       (d) A moped.                                                                

                                                                                

7       (e) A motor vehicle if the driver or passenger possesses a                  

                                                                                

8   written verification from a physician that the driver or                    

                                                                                

9   passenger is unable to wear a safety belt for physical or medical           

                                                                                

10  reasons.                                                                    

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (f) A motor vehicle that is not required to be equipped with                

                                                                                

2   safety belts under federal law.                                             

                                                                                

3       (g) A commercial or United States postal service vehicle that               

                                                                                

4   makes frequent stops for the purpose of pickup or delivery of               

                                                                                

5   goods or services.                                                          

                                                                                

6       (h) A motor vehicle operated by a rural carrier of the United               

                                                                                

7   States postal service while serving his or her rural postal                 

                                                                                

8   route.                                                                      

                                                                                

9       (2) This section does not apply to a passenger of a school                  

                                                                                

10  bus.                                                                        

                                                                                

11      (3)  Each  Subject to the exceptions in this subsection, each               

                                                                                

12  driver and front seat passenger of a motor vehicle operated on a            

                                                                                

13  street or highway in this state shall wear a properly adjusted              

                                                                                

14  and fastened safety belt  , except that a child less than 4 years           

                                                                                

15  of age shall be protected as required in section 710d.  except as           

                                                                                

16  follows:                                                                    

                                                                                

17      (a) A child less than 4 years of age shall be protected as                  

                                                                                

18  required in section 710d.                                                   

                                                                                

19      (b) A child weighing at least 40 pounds but not more than 80                

                                                                                

20  pounds or a child that is not more than 4 feet 9 inches in height           

                                                                                

21  shall be seated in a manufacturer certified booster seat and                

                                                                                

22  secured by a safety belt.                                                   

                                                                                

23      (4) If there are more passengers than safety belts available                

                                                                                

24  for use, and all safety belts in the motor vehicle are being                

                                                                                

25  utilized in compliance with this section, the driver of the motor           

                                                                                

26  vehicle is in compliance with this section.                                 

                                                                                

27      (5)  (4)  Each driver of a motor vehicle transporting a child               


                                                                                

1   4 years of age or more but less than 16 years of age in a motor             

                                                                                

2   vehicle shall secure the child in a properly adjusted and                   

                                                                                

3   fastened safety belt.  If the motor vehicle is transporting more            

                                                                                

4   children than there are safety belts available for use, all                 

                                                                                

5   safety belts available in the motor vehicle are being utilized in           

                                                                                

6   compliance with this section, and the driver and all front seat             

                                                                                

7   passengers comply with subsection (3),  then  the driver of a               

                                                                                

8   motor vehicle transporting a child 4 years of age or more but               

                                                                                

9   less than 16 years of age for which there is not an available               

                                                                                

10  safety belt is in compliance with this subsection, if that child            

                                                                                

11  is seated in other than the front seat of the motor vehicle.                

                                                                                

12  However, if that motor vehicle is a pickup truck without an                 

                                                                                

13  extended cab or jump seats, and all safety belts in the front               

                                                                                

14  seat are being used, the driver may transport  such a  the child            

                                                                                

15  in the front seat without a safety belt.                                    

                                                                                

16      (6)  (5)  If after December 31, 2005 the office of highway                  

                                                                                

17  safety planning certifies that there has been less than 80%                 

                                                                                

18  compliance with the safety belt requirements of this section                

                                                                                

19  during the preceding year,  then  enforcement of this section by            

                                                                                

20  state or local law enforcement agencies shall be accomplished               

                                                                                

21  only as a secondary action when a driver of a motor vehicle has             

                                                                                

22  been detained for a suspected violation of another section of               

                                                                                

23  this act.                                                                   

                                                                                

24      (7)  (6)  Failure to wear a safety belt in violation of this                

                                                                                

25  section may be considered evidence of negligence and may reduce             

                                                                                

26  the recovery for damages arising out of the ownership,                      

                                                                                

27  maintenance, or operation of a motor vehicle.  However,  such               


                                                                                

1   that negligence shall not reduce the recovery for damages by more           

                                                                                

2   than 5%.                                                                    

                                                                                

3       (8)  (7)  A person who violates this section is responsible                 

                                                                                

4   for a civil infraction.                                                     

                                                                                

5       (9)  (8)  A law enforcement agency shall conduct an                         

                                                                                

6   investigation for all reports of police harassment that result              

                                                                                

7   from the enforcement of this section.                                       

                                                                                

8       (10)  (9)  The secretary of state shall engage an independent               

                                                                                

9   organization to conduct a 3-year study to determine the effect              

                                                                                

10  that the primary enforcement of this section has on the number of           

                                                                                

11  incidents of police harassment of drivers.  The organization that           

                                                                                

12  conducts the study shall submit a report to the legislature not             

                                                                                

13  later than June 30, 2001 and an annual report not later than June           

                                                                                

14  30 each year thereafter.                                                    

                                                                                

15      (11)  (10)  The secretary of state shall promote compliance                 

                                                                                

16  with the safety belt requirements of this section at the branch             

                                                                                

17  offices and through any print or visual media determined                    

                                                                                

18  appropriate by the secretary of state.                                      

                                                                                

19      (11) The secretary of state shall conduct a study with the                  

                                                                                

20  cooperation and contribution of the directors of the department             

                                                                                

21  of state police, the department of community health, the state              

                                                                                

22  transportation department, and the insurance bureau to analyze              

                                                                                

23  the monetary savings, if any, arising from the enactment of the             

                                                                                

24  amendatory act that added this subsection.  The secretary of                

                                                                                

25  state shall report the findings of the study to all of the                  

                                                                                

26  following not later than May 1, 2000:                                       

                                                                                

27      (a) The senate and house of representatives appropriations                  


                                                                                

1   committees.                                                                 

                                                                                

2       (b) The senate and house of representatives fiscal agencies.                

                                                                                

3       (12) It is the intent of the legislature that the enforcement               

                                                                                

4   of this section be conducted in a manner calculated to save lives           

                                                                                

5   and not in a manner that results in the harassment of the                   

                                                                                

6   citizens of this state.                                                     

                                                                                

7       (13) Points shall not be assessed under section 320a for a                  

                                                                                

8   violation of this section.