Time Running Out on Proposed Safety Laws

A pair of proposed highway safety laws are boiling down to two issues: Primary enforcement of the seat belt law and a change to let motorcyclists older than 25 go without helmets. Both are in one of the bills. The helmet provision is in the other one, with no seat belt requirement. Senator Patrick Dougherty of St.Louis says the no-helmet provision will be deadly. The sponsor of one of the bills, Jon Dolan of Lake St. Louis, admits changing the helmet law will cost some people their lives. But he says strengthening the seat belt law will save more. Three days remain to reconcile the issues..and the bills. Dolan says it boils down to a choice – a bill with both provisions in or a bill with neither issue approved.