Oklahoma Senate Approves Bill Mandating Seatbelts For Children Under 17

The Oklahoma Senate approved a bill on Tuesday which would require passengers 16 and younger to wear a seatbelt in the back seat of a vehicle.

Lawmakers approved Senate Bill 681, authored by Sen. Roland Pederson (R - Burlington), would no longer make Oklahoma the only state that does not require children over the age of 8 to wear seat belts in the backseat.

"It is time for us to make this change and put protections in place for children in our state," Sen. Pederson said. "You may think it won’t happen to you or anyone you know, but there are countless crashes every year."

The bill now moves to the Oklahoma House of Representatives.