New Seatbelt Law for 15-Passenger Vans

Governor Steve Beshear has signed legislation requiring vehicles carrying 15 passengers or less to be equipped with seat belts and passengers must wear them. 

He says the inspiration behind the new law came from a 2010 crash on I-65 in Hart County that killed 11 people.  Ten of the victims were inside a van and unrestrained.

"Obviously the crash wasn't caused because of that.  It was distracted driving on the part of the truck driver, but you have to think that some of those folks might have survived if they had seat belts on.  We certainly know the percentages are with us when we have seat belts."

The governor says although highway deaths in Kentucky are dropping, there's still room for improvement.  Previous state law required seat belts for vans designed to carry ten or fewer passengers.