Study finds Utah average in safety laws

Utah is just average when it comes to having key highway safety laws on the books, a new study released Thursday shows.

The study, done by the national Emergency Nurses Association, identified 10 laws and regulations as key to helping "protect the public from traffic-related injuries." All 50 states and the District of Columbia were ranked based on how many of those laws they had implemented.

Utah has implemented six of the 10 identified laws, which deal with: primary seat-belt legislation, child passenger safety, graduated driver licencing, universal motorcycle helmet laws and the existence of a statewide trauma system.

Only 14 states have implemented five or fewer of the laws. Nancy Bonalumi, president of the Emergency Nurses Association, said in a statement that she was hopeful the association's study would encourage states to develop tighter laws.

"Every year emergency nurses treat thousands of patients who are the victims of traffic accidents that might have been prevented," she said. "We recognize the importance of laws in promoting safe driving and preventing injury, particularly around Thanksgiving and other busy holiday seasons."

Utah does not have a primary seat belt law, which would allow an officer to ticket drivers under age 19 for not wearing a seat belt. Currently, motorists over age 19 can be ticketed for a seat belt violation if they broke another law first.

Other laws that Utah does not have include a universal motorcycle helmet law, which would require all people on a motorcycle, regardless of age, to wear a helmet. The state also does not require booster seats for children up to age 8 — a key law identified by the Nurses Association. Utah law requires that children under age four to be placed in a child safety seat.

According to the Nurses Association, only 15 states require booster seats up to age 8. The study said by requiring that children use some form of safety seat until age 8, they will be better protected during crashes.

Rolayne Fairclough, spokeswoman for AAA of Utah, said that she is aware of efforts during the next legislative session to get a primary seat-belt law and a tighter booster seat law passed.

In the past four years, efforts to pass a primary seat belt bill have been unsuccessful against opponents arguing that buckling up is a personal choice with which government shouldn't interfere.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com