Wyoming ranks among the worst states for auto safety laws. That’s according to a new report from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
Eight other states were rated as red in the report, which means they have less than half of the organization’s recommended laws like mandatory seatbelt enforcement and required helmet use for all motorcyclists.
Bunky Loucks is a Representative from Casper and says he sees no need for state laws to change.
We in Wyoming believe in freedoms and that's probably the biggest reason that primary seatbelt and mandatory helmet laws have not been passed.
"I believe it’s an overstep by law enforcement," says Loucks. "We in Wyoming believe in freedoms and that’s probably the biggest reason that primary seat-belt and mandatory helmet laws have not been passed. I understand the statistics. I’ve had people explain to me brain injury is a tragic thing. But our republic was built off of one thing and that’s freedoms and people can make a choice to be stupid or be smart and be safer."
76 percent of Wyomingites buckled up in 2013, compared to 87 percent nationally.