Jun 8, 2009 10:47 pm US/Central
Seat Belt Law A Victory For Mother Of Child Killed
(WCCO)
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For the past 10 years, Kathy Cooper has been a seat belt advocate. She says the death of her daughter Meghan motivated her to fight for the enforcement of a seat belt law in Minnesota.
CBS
Starting Tuesday, you'll have extra incentive for buckling up -- a $25 ticket. The state's new seat belt law went into effect at midnight. It gives police permission to pull you over for not wearing one. There is at least one Minnesota who said the new law will definitely save lives.
For the past 10 years, Kathy Cooper has been a seat belt advocate. She says the death of her daughter Meghan motivated her to fight for the enforcement of a seat belt law in Minnesota.
Meghan was not wearing a seat belt when she died in a car crash on June 9, 1999.
Cooper is overjoyed that 10 years to the day that her daughter died, not wearing a seat belt in Minnesota becomes a primary offense.
"Since the bill passed on the 18th it's been a lot of emotion, just gut-wrenching emotion and maybe now I can start my grieving," said Cooper.
Beginning Tuesday, not wearing a seat belt gets you a $25 ticket and court surcharges that could top $100.
"It doesn't matter how old you are or where you sit, everybody, every seat, every time," said Cooper.
Police will give tickets to each person in the vehicle who isn't buckled up. But if the person who is not wearing a seat belt is under 15, the driver will get the ticket.
Although the vast majority of Minnesotans buckle up, about 87 percent, Cooper feels a lot more work needs to be done in order to get every Minnesotan in the habit of buckling up.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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