Primary seatbelt law goes into effect August 1 across ND

FARGO, N.D. (KFGO/KVRR) — Starting in August, anyone driving or riding in a passenger vehicle will need to buckle up in North Dakota.

Governor Doug Burgum signed the bill into law after the legislature passed a primary seatbelt bill.

The law requires everyone in a vehicle to be buckled up.

Under current secondary law, a driver has to be pulled over for another traffic violation before getting a seatbelt ticket.

Dickinson Senator Dean Rummel says his background as a member of a rural fire rescue squad played a role in his desire to sponsor the bill.

According to Rummel, medical injuries from not wearing seatbelts exceeded over 200 million dollars a year with the primary hospitals in North Dakota.

A driver would be fined $20 per person not wearing a seatbelt.