Indiana House votes 55-41 in favor of law requiring seat belts for everyone

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana House voted 55-41 Tuesday for legislation that would require almost everyone to wear seat belts in both the front and back seats of most vehicles, including pickup trucks.\nCurrently only front-seat passengers and children under age 16 are required to wear belts, and very young children must be in child-restraint seats. People age 16 or over are not required to wear belts in pickups, but would be under the bill.\nRep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomingtona>, and other proponents said the bill would save lives. Opponents of the bill, which has passed the Republican-ruled Senate in some previous years but failed in the House, have argued that it is another case of government intruding into personal lives.\n“You can’t legislate people making good decisions and being safe,” said Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville. The bill also would change the state’s local road funding distribution formula by phasing trucks into the equation over three years. Trucks have not been counted in the formula, which is based on the number of vehicles in a county.\nThe bill now moves to the Senate.