STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman NELSON T. ALBANO
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Assemblyman MATTHEW W. MILAM
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires all automobile passengers to wear seat belts.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning safety seat belt usage and amending P.L.1984, c.179.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1984, c.179 (C.39:3-76.2f) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. Except as provided in P.L.1983, c.128 (C.39:3-76.2a et al.) for children under eight years of age and weighing less than 80 pounds, all passengers [under eight years of age and weighing more than 80 pounds, and all passengers who are at least eight years of age but less than 18 years of age, and each driver and front seat passenger] of a passenger automobile operated on a street or highway in this State shall wear a properly adjusted and fastened safety seat belt system as defined by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 209.
b. The driver of a passenger automobile shall secure or cause to be secured in a properly adjusted and fastened safety seat belt system, as defined by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 209, any passenger who is at least eight years of age but less than 18 years of age.
For the purposes of the "Passenger Automobile Seat Belt Usage Act," the term "passenger automobile" shall include vans, pick-up trucks, and utility vehicles.
(cf: P.L.2001, c.244, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require all passengers, regardless of where they are seated in a passenger automobile, to wear a seat belt.
Under current law, all children under the age of 18, the driver, and any front seat passenger of passenger automobiles are required to wear a properly adjusted and fastened safety seat belt. However, the current law does not require an adult riding in the rear seat of a passenger automobile to wear a seat belt.