Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2003 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to eliminate exemptions to the child seat belt law, require that all available seat belts be used to restrain passengers, and require every child to be restrained.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Transportation, Honolulu Police Department, and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.

Current law does not require child seat belt use if the number of persons in the vehicle exceed the number of seat belts available in the vehicle or the number originally installed in the vehicle. This measure repeals that provision and requires every child to be restrained.

Your Committee finds that wearing seat belt restraints saves lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a person wearing a seat belt is approximately forty-five percent more likely to survive a serious motor vehicle crash. Child restraints have been shown to reduce the risks of fatal injuries by as much as seventy-one percent for infants and fifty-four percent for toddlers.

This measure promotes the safety and well being of minors traveling in a motor vehicle.

Your Committee has amended this measure by providing that every person under the age of eighteen in the back seat of a motor vehicle shall be secured by a seat belt restraint.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2003, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2003, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.