Complaints about police abuse of power had grown rampant way before the Ferguson riots. If outlets such as Mother Jones, Daily Caller, Huffington Post, and Reason agree on anything it is the all too common episodes of abused state authority. Comprehensive study and reform is necessary. It can start here.
According to the Governors' Highway Safety Association, 33 states allow police to pull over individuals for not wearing seat belts. In these states it is a primary offense, meaning that the officer has probable cause to stop a vehicle if he or she suspects a person does not have their seat belt on.
A Reason writer in 2012 predicted that primary offense seat belt laws could open the door for abuse and harassment. If it has not happened yet, it could. Not wearing a seat belt does not threaten the safety of anyone else. It's time to get this law off the books.
It would seem that this could be a rare opportunity for liberty minded Republicans to join forces with the NAACP and other groups concerned about police power.
