STAND. COM. REP. NO. 72

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 774
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B.
No. 774 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEAT BELTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee on
Transportation, is to mandate the use of seat belts in the back
seat of a motor vehicle.

     Your Committee finds that this amendment is extremely
important for child safety, as riding unrestrained is an
important factor in the death or injury among children as
passengers in a motor vehicle.  The use of seat belts for back
seat passengers is critical, especially since back seat
passengers are not protected by air bags or other kinds of
protective equipment.  The use of seat belts by all passengers in
a motor vehicle, regardless of where they sit, will dramatically
decrease the number of motor vehicle related deaths.

     This bill proposes to mandate the use of seat belts in the
back seat of a motor vehicle by passengers who are between the
ages of four and thirteen.

     Testimonies in strong support of this bill were heard from
the State Department of Transportation, the State Department of
Health, the Honolulu City and County Police Department, the Keiki
Injury Prevention Coalition, the Hawaii Medical Association,
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Hawaii Insurers Council, and
the American Academy of Pediatrics.


 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 72
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee has amended this bill by requiring all
passengers in a motor vehicle, regardless of ages or seating
arrangement, to be restrained by seat belt systems.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
774, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 774, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Transportation,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair