Under current law, you can only a get a ticket for not wearing a seat belt if you get caught for another traffic violation, such as speeding.COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine is pushing for a stricter seat belt law that would give police the power to pull people over and ticket them for not buckling up.
To make his case, the governor cited statistics from an Ohio Department of Public Safety Survey that showed seat belt use in Ohio in 2022 hit its lowest level in nearly two decades. According to the Department of Public Safety, 527 people who were killed in crashes in Ohio in 2022 were not wearing a seat belt. That number made up more than 60% of all traffic crash deaths in the state. "The issue becomes how much personal responsibility is required by individuals." Stephens said."So that's probably how those would be received.
"It does give the police a small excuse to stop somebody that they might not otherwise legally be able to stop," Bruce Ayars said."I think it encourages the police to violate peoples' civil rights, is what I think," Bezoski said.