DALTON, Ga. – Georgia motorists who drove to work today in their pickup trucks might want to buckle up before heading home this evening.
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue came to Dalton today to sign a bill into law that mandates the use of seatbelts even for drivers who operate pickups. Georgia was the only state still to allow exemptions for pickup operators. The law went into effect upon the governor’s signature, though it wasn’t clear if enforcement would begin immediately.
Gov. Perdue flew by helicopter to Dalton Thursday to sign the bill alongside its sponsor, Sen. Don Thomas, R-Dalton, who is retiring from the Senate this year.
“This bill will save lives,” Gov. Perdue said. “The sad truth is that these trucks aren’t as safe … and today these trucks are used more for transport, they often have four doors and they are common on urban roads, too.”
Georgia has required seatbelt use since the 1990s, but political wrangling by powerful rural legislators blocked the pickup ban for nearly two decades.