Everyone Gets to Buckle Up Soon

My grandpa has never been one to wear his seat belt. He’s driven a truck all his life, and in Indiana, having a vehicle registered as such allows you to drive all around town seat belt free. I’m going to have some bad news to break to gramps soon, because the Indiana General Assembly passed a bill that makes it mandatory for anyone in any vehicle to be buckled up: car, truck, minivan, front seat, back seat, etc.

As part of the bill, seat belt checkpoints will be eliminated as well. While I was at Purdue, the West Lafayette police had seat belt checkpoints all throughout town and would pull over drivers all day long for not wearing a seat belt. That will be a thing of the past as well with this new bill. The bill is off to the Governor, and assuming he signs it, it will become law on July 1st.

What I’m wondering is that if anyone under the age of 50 actually drives around without a seat belt? Driving with a seat belt on is so routine to me that if I don’t have it on, something doesn’t feel right.

photo courtesy of Endlisnis