Posted on February 8, 2017
Newtown – State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-Newtown) testified before the Legislature’s Transportation Committee on Monday, February 6, 2017 at the Legislative Office Building, in support of two proposed bills that he introduced. Both measures are designed to save lives on Connecticut’s roads and, in the process, also save the state money.
Bolinsky first spoke in support of House Bill 6502 – “AN ACT ESTABLISHING A “MOVE OVER” LAW FOR OIL AND GAS DELIVERY VEHICLES AND GARBAGE TRUCKS.”
“In 2009, when the legislature originally passed a “move over” law, a layer of protection was created for our first responders, police, fire and other state workers,” explained Bolinsky. “This bill expands this protected class of workers to include the men and women working on and around other classes of roadside vehicles, specifically those of our Trash- Haulers and Recyclers, as well as gas and oil delivery service vehicles. I was shocked to learn that folks employed within the roadside solid waste and recycling collection business are performing a job that has the fifth-highest fatality rate in the nation. I’d like everyone to understand that we all share in the responsibility of keeping all road-users safe.” Rep. Bolinsky also noted that the bill has strong support of from key stakeholders including OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration); NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health); DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services); by safety officials and risk managers here in CT and around the nation.
The second bill Bolinsky spoke in favor of was House Bill 6054 – “AN ACT REQUIRING BACK SEAT PASSENGERS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE TO WEAR SEAT BELTS.”
“When it comes to being unbuckled in rear seats, particularly in larger vehicles, fatality rates are considerably higher for everyone in the vehicle, even buckled front-seat occupants”, explained Bolinsky. “When crashes occur, passengers that are not restrained in the back seat also have a greater risk of being ejected, or getting thrown into another passenger in the cabin. Add to this observation, data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) demonstrating that unbelted rear seat passengers are 3 times more likely to die than those who are buckled at the time of a serious impact. Connecticut is in the minority on this issue – one of just 22 states without rear-seat occupant protection laws.” Rep. Bolinsky concluded “Front seats have become much safer but that’s not the case in the back seat. Without the use of seat belts, we needlessly lose lives every year. Those souls should still be with their families.”
Dr. Neil Chaudhary, CEO & Traffic Safety Consultant of the Pressure Group, was Rep Bolinsky’s guest and expert witness, providing research data on the impact of passengers not wearing seat belts in the back seat of a motor vehicle. According to his testimony, if the law governing the requirement that front seat passengers wearing seat belts were to be extended to also cover back seat passengers and usage rates in the front and back seats conformed, Connecticut would experience a 25% decrease in rear seat traffic-related fatalities.
In addition to his commitment to local issues, Representative Bolinsky is committed to life-saving legislation. The Transportation Committee will now deliberate on each of the proposals before going to the House Floor for further debate.
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