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If Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher gets his way, not wearing a seat belt alone might get you pulled over.
The Kentucky House will vote on House Bill 86 on Tuesday. The bill will make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense. Currently Kentucky law states that the offense is currently a secondary offense meaning that police can site a driver for seat belt use only after another offense.
Nancy Wood of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says that passing House Bill 86 could save many lives. "The first year alone studies show that by passing this bill at least the minimum would be 62 lives saved." said Wood.
The Transportation Department held a rally Tuesday morning trying to show legislators the support for House Bill 86.
Alexandria School Hosting Distracted Driving Class
The death of an Alexandria teen in a violent car crash last week has again opened the discussion of seat belt use. It is also reinvigorating a new class teaching new drivers the dangers of distracted driving.
No one in the crash was wearing their seat belt according to the Alexandria Police. The car apparently could not make a turn in the road. A possible cause could have been that the driver was distracted.
A class a Bishop Brossart High School is hoping to teach teens the dangers of chatting with friends, changing music, and talking and texting on their cell phones. The school is talking to parents at school meetings about the class and is allowing the parents to sign the students up.
Brossart's Development Director, Ron Heiert, describes the dangers of being distracted and trying to recover, two principles of the class.
"You may be off the road before you even know it," says Heiert. "So now how do you address off road recovery, how do you get back on the road safely?"
Heiert says the class, which is free and open to all young drivers, will teach drivers how to recover after leaving the road. The class will also teach drivers to avoid distractions that lead to accidents like the one that killed a Brossart High senior in December.
Krystal Marshall was driving home from her last day of school before the holiday break when her car went off of the road striking a tree and throwing Marshall from the car. Her memorialized locker remains a reminder to others to focus on the road.
Brossart student Amanda Joy Phirman says it's a teen thing to not think of the dire consequences of their actions while driving. "It's a teenage thing where you don't want to think about the consequences." Phirman said, "but when you sit down and think about it...yeah it's a big factor."
Heiert has teamed the school up with the Alexandria Police Department which provides the cars and trainers and Liberty Mutual insurance provides financial support. The two day class lasts two and a half hours each day.
Heiert explains what students should expect from the class, "students get a chance under supervision of these officials to take out a police car with the officer sitting next to them and demonstrating the effects of distraction." Heiert adds that the class goes beyond what a typical class will teach drivers who are not experienced.
The class is free and is open to all young drivers. If interested, call Alexandria Police Officer George Shreiner at (859)635-4126.
