SEAT BELTS

“Nevada’s rate of unbelted fatalities is rising while everyone else’s is going down,” Breen said.

Breen said statistics show compliance increased in states where violations were made a primary offense.

Dr. Douglas Fraser, a trauma physician at University Medical Center, said crash victims treated at Nevada trauma centers incur an average of $77 million annually in hospital charges, with $25 million of that for patients who were unrestrained.

“To know other drivers are out there without a safety belt just blows my mind,” Fraser said.

Data from the Center for Traffic Safety Research at the University of Nevada School of Medicine showed only 76 percent of Nevadans admitted to a trauma center were wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Of the uninsured, only 59 percent were restrained.

Janine Hansen, of Nevada Families of Freedom, said her brother was not wearing a seat belt in 2002 when he died in a crash on Interstate 80.

“He made a conscious decision because he didn’t want the government telling him what to do.” PROFILING CONCERNS

Defense lawyers said changing the law would give law enforcement an excuse to profile drivers to stop them.

John Piro, with the Clark County public defender’s office, said other states with primary seat belt laws have protections against racial profiling that Nevada lacks.

“We believe that this is a solution looking for a problem,” Piro said. “Most people already believe it is against the law to not wear your seat belt.” Hansen raised similar objections. “I’m concerned about having another reason for police to stop people,” she said. “I think we’re becoming more and more of a police state, and that worries me.”

No action was taken on the bill, and Parks said he would work with critics to address profiling issues. Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal. com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.