Politics & Government

Kirkwood City Council to Consider Seat Belt Enforcement Ordinance

The ordinance, up for reading at tonight's city council meeting, would give Kirkwood police the authority to pull over drivers not wearing their seatbelts.

Missouri belongs to a group of 17 states in the country who are considered to have “secondary seat belt laws,” meaning police officers may issue a ticket to a driver for not wearing a seat belt, but only if there is another traffic violation for which he or she has been pulled over. 

Tonight, the Kirkwood City Council will consider a bill that would allow Kirkwood police officers to stop a vehicle if the driver or passengers are not wearing a seat belt.

(Check out the entire agenda for the meeting here)

The move follows a , saying officers would step up its enforcement of existing seat belt laws.

Currently, 17 municipalities in St. Louis County have adopted similar ordinances to the one Kirkwood is planning to adopt.

Tell us in our comments: Do you think this new law is necessary?

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