Senate Rejects Bill to Require Seat Belt Use

In a spirited debate, the Senate spurned pleas to “save 1,000 lives a year” and narrowly rejected major legislation that would fine California motorists who fail to use their seat belts.

Resentment over federal interference and claims that the measure reflected “Big Brother” government intruding into people’s lives eclipsed the safety issues as the Senate turned down the measure by a 19-18 margin. Twenty-one votes were needed for passage.

Sen. John Foran (D-San Francisco), the measure’s author, immediately received permission to have the bill reconsidered, perhaps as early as next week.

The Senate’s rejection came three days after the Assembly easily passed a rival bill by Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) that not only would require seat belt use but force auto makers to install air bags or other automatic crash devices in all new California cars.

Talking to reporters after the defeat, Foran said a variety of factors, including lack of support from auto makers and heavy opposition from major insurance companies, turned the tide against him. Two of his co-authors were among those voting against the bill.

“I didn’t have anyone lobbying on my side,” Foran said.

An insurance industry spokesman, however, said lobbyists contacted only about four or five members in the last week. “I wouldn’t say we were working it that hard,” the spokesman said.

Insurers’ Objection

Large portions of the insurance industry have opposed the Senate bill because they believe it will help auto makers escape federal regulations requiring the installation of air bags or other automatic crash systems in all new cars beginning late in the decade. The Reagan Administration recently agreed to scrap the regulations if auto makers could persuade states with two-thirds of the nation’s population to pass seat belt laws.

The insurers, who have waged a long and, so far, unsuccessful battle for air bags, sponsored Brown’s bill because it requires automatic crash devices in addition to seat belt use regardless of what happens to the federal regulations.

In hopes of striking a compromise, Foran recently agreed to include in his bill a provision requiring car manufacturers to offer air bags as an option. The move lost him the support of the auto industry.

On Monday, it appeared that a whole new crop of doubts had emerged. Senators who earlier pledged to vote for the measure suddenly were divided among two camps: One held that any seat belt law would amount to unnecessary government intrusion while the other side said Foran’s measure did no go far enough.

Davis Cites Interference

Sen. Ed Davis (R-Valencia), a co-author of the bill, said he decided to vote against it because of federal interference. “When someone comes up with a logical seat belt law that is not connected with this giant federal battle, then I’ll be a co-author again,” Davis said.

Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) at one point said he opposed the bill because it did not go far enough in requiring air bags. Later he said his real concern was “Big Brother telling people to buckle up.” From a philosophical point of view, Campbell added, “it bothers me that we are using the force of government to bring this about.”

But Foran, in arguing for his measure, said the bill would save 1,000 lives each year simply by encouraging motorists to use seat belts that have been in cars but largely unused for more than 20 years. “Think about 1,000 lives per year,” Foran implored his colleagues. “We get talking about a variety of issues like air bags but that is really not the issue you have to decide today.”

Assembly Measure

Meanwhile, sources said the defeat of the Senate bill could spell more trouble for the Assembly measure. Foran chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, which will hear the Brown bill and which earlier rejected a virtually identical bill.

“Some of the items in the Assembly bill were fought and talked about on the Senate floor, and I expect we’ll hear the same rhetoric in the committee,” said Wayne Wilson, an insurance company lobbyist.

“It’s safe to say we are going to have a difficult time in the Senate,” said Kathleen Snodgrass, an aide to Brown.