Strong seat belt law has new ally

State Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, announced Monday he will vote for a strong seat belt law.

“It makes medical sense and it makes economic sense,” said Courson, explaining he now believes such a law would save many lives and sharply cut medical bills associated with traffic injuries.

Courson, a 20-year Senate veteran, is one of the state’s most respected Republicans. Until now, he has been part of a coalition of 12 senators who oppose a strong seat belt law because they say it gives too much power to government.

Since the Senate has appeared deadlocked on the seat belt issue, Courson’s change of heart — and his prestige — could affect the outcome.

The debate could begin this week in the Senate. Twenty-four of 46 senators must vote for a strong seat belt bill for it to pass.

Twenty-two senators, including Courson, say they favor the bill. About a dozen are undecided.

“I think the Senate will vote in favor of it — unless there are some killer amendments offered.”

The latest traffic statistics showed many South Carolinians continue to be needlessly killed because they weren’t wearing seat belts.

So far this year, 115 people not wearing seat belts have been killed on state roads. Studies indicate at least half would still be alive if they had worn seat belts, according to Max Young, director of the S.C. Department of Public Safety highway safety office.

Young also said that 1,100 serious injuries per year could be prevented if the state had a strong seat belt law.

South Carolina has a weak seat belt law that prevents police from ticketing adult beltless drivers unless officers see the driver breaking another law. Under a strong seat belt law, police would be able to issue a $25 ticket to an adult driver for not wearing a seat belt.

Under the state’s current law, drivers 17 and younger can be ticketed for not wearing seat belts. But that law is difficult to enforce, police say, because it is hard to tell a driver’s age.

In states with weak seat belt laws, far fewer people wear seat belts than in states with strong laws, studies show.

Courson said two factors made him change his mind.

First, he said, he learned from an article in The State that South Carolina has a low rate of seat belt usage — about 66 percent.

In states with mandatory seat belt laws, the average usage is more than 80 percent.

The national seat belt usage average is 75 percent.

After more research, Courson said, he concluded that South Carolina’s weak law has done as much as it could to get people to wear seat belts. A stronger law will increase seat belt usage and reduce deaths and injuries, he said.

“I’ve changed only because the statistics bear this out,” Courson said. “I still think philosophically, if one can achieve one’s goal without the government mandating it, we are better off that way.”

Courson said a second reason he changed is because of a doctor’s recent e-mail about injuries to people who don’t wear seat belts.

“That had an effect on me,” Courson said.

Courson’s shift gave hope to pro-safety senators.

“I just hope Courson would have some influence with Senator (Glenn) McConnell,” said Sen. Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken.

McConnell, the Senate’s most powerful senator, is also the most prominent libertarian. McConnell — a Charleston Republican — views low seat belt use not as a public health threat, but as a matter of individual rights.

Ryberg — Senate Transportation Committee chairman — said that several years ago, he was a libertarian about seat belt use, too. But many doctors and police officers convinced him a strong seat belt law would save numerous lives and millions of dollars, he said.

“The data is compelling,” he said.