S.C. Sen. John Kuhn, R-Charleston, recently infuriated Grand Strand residents with insensitive remarks about the kinds of tourists who come here. But that pales in comparison to the wallet-draining effects of the senator's opposition to a get-tough S.C. seat belt law.

Right now, S.C. police officers can cite motorists for seat belt violations only in connection with other offenses, such as speeding. S.C. car insurance rates are outrageously high, especially on the coast.

Insurers inflict higher premiums where motorists have little incentive to buckle up. Wrecks in which victims failed to buckle up inflate the cost of claims dramatically, and in South Carolina, such wrecks happen a lot. In S.C. venues such as the Grand Strand, where traffic volume and overloaded roads exert pressure on car insurance rates, measures that could hold premiums down are especially beneficial.

The seat belt bill roared through the House by a wide margin and found favor, narrowly, in the Senate Transportation Committee. But in the final days of the 2003 session, leadership passed it over.

Any senator's objection to a bill is sufficient to plunge it into limbo, under Senate rules. Senators tend to work on bills with a good chance of passing, delaying those that don't. And Kuhn has been vociferous in his opposition to this bill.

Kuhn sees the measure as a threat to civil liberties, arguing that it would empower police to stop cars on a whim. But it's hard to imagine that traffic officers would look for excuses to pull cars over. They're spread too thin as it is.

Besides, officers often can see clearly into cars (as can anyone else) and tell whether the occupants are buckled up. In such situations, they ought to have the power to pull a car over and ticket the motorist, especially because seat belts, when used, really do save lives.

Between now and January, Kuhn needs to think this problem through. This bill needs to become law so South Carolinians can benefit from reduced highway carnage and lower car insurance premiums. If he relents, maybe the bill can pass next year.