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The purpose of the Montana Seatbelt Coalition is to promote the adoption of primary occupant protection laws in Montana.  We are a broad coalition of interested businesses, individuals, government agencies, legislators, and community coalitions representing all geographic regions of the state.

Montana is the only state in the nation with a secondary enforcement clause on the enforcement of the state’s child passenger safety law, and one of a diminishing number with a secondary enforcement provision on seatbelt enforcement.  A law enforcement officer may not stop a vehicle simply because the officer observes an unrestrained child or adult in the vehicle.

Research shows that the enactment and standard enforcement of safety belt laws are effective at increasing safety belt use.  Increased safety belt use = fewer fatalities + lifelong injuries from motor vehicle crashes.

We can lean on the experience of other states that have moved from secondary to primary enforcement of the occupant protection laws.  Removing the secondary enforcement clause from both Montana’s seatbelt and child passenger safety laws will not only save lives and reduce injuries, but will also:

  • Send a clear message to Montanans that it’s important to buckle up
  • Save Montana’s businesses money spent on unnecessary workers compensation claims and lost productivity
  • Provide guidance to parents and caregivers regarding safe transport of children
  • Save Montana’s citizens substantial amounts of money in health care costs

We hope this change will impact the 21% of Montana's population that routinely don’t buckle up.  21% may not sound like much, but it accounts for almost 200,000 people, which is more than the combined populations of Billings, Bozeman, and Great Falls.

That’s a lot of Montanans who still aren’t buckling up.

 
 
 
Senator Dave Lewis - Senate District 42
I strongly support a primary seat belt law in Montana. It is heartbreaking for me to read over and over again of the fatalities resulting from failure to use seat belts. If a law saves one life a year, it is worth it. I have nine grandchildren living in Montana and worry about them driving and riding with friends. This law may save one of their lives or one of their friends.

Senate District 42 encompasses Golden Valley, Wheatland, Meagher, and parts of Broadwater, Lewis & Clark and Powell Counties - 8900 square miles of Montana in all.
Mike McGrath, Attorney General - Montana
"Year after year after year, too many people die because they are unbuckled and get thrown out of their vehicles. These lost lives take an enormous toll on Montanans, physically, financially and emotionally. We know the correct, consistent use of seatbelts can save Montana lives. It's time for a primary seatbelt law in this state."
Colonel Paul Grimstad, Montana Highway Patrol - Montana
"Each year the Montana Highway Patrol investigates hundreds of serious - and often fatal - crashes in which drivers and passengers have not worn safety belts. All too often, if seatbelts had been used, injuries could have been minimized and lives could have been saved. A primary law would assist all Montana law enforcement agencies, and make sure that seatbelt use is more than just a good idea."
Ray Kuntz - Helena
"Watkins Shepard Trucking Inc. is extremely focused on making our workplace (the highway system) as safe as possible. Statistics show that primary enforcement seatbelt laws in other states have substantially reduced fatalities and injuries on their roadways. If these statistics hold true in Montana, a Primary seatbelt law would reduce lives lost by approximately 40 per year. The financial strain of these fatalities and injuries have drastically increased our vehicle insurance costs. Our goal is to save lives and slow down the increasing cost of vehicle insurance. We need your help! The next life we save could be you or a loved one!"
Barry "Spook" Stang - Helena
"The Montana Motor Carriers Association's goal is to provide safe and efficient highways. A primary seatbelt law will help achieve this goal. I can speak from personal experience that seatbelts work. On my 40th birthday, driving home from a legislative meeting in Missoula during a winter snowstorm, I totaled my 4-wheel drive pickup in a roll-over accident, and walked away without a scratch. Ten years to the day, my son also experienced a roll-over, and wearing his seatbelt also allowed him to walk away without a scratch. If a primary seatbelt law is passed in Montana, we'll probably save over 40 lives a year."