Mayor pushes for new seatbelt law in NYC taxis

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City cab riders who don't buckle up could soon face fines.

Well, not all cab riders. The law would apply to people in the front seat and kids under 16.

The proposal is part of Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero plan.

"Seatbelts save lives, and with more than half of taxi passengers choosing not to wear them, this is a common sense approach to expanding their use. We've had a lot of success using high-tech to solve customer-service and safety challenges, but sometimes, going 'back to the future' to a lower-tech solution like seatbelts is the answer you need. Interestingly enough, most New Yorkers we speak to about this were surprised that this wasn't already the law, and so, if this archaic seatbelt exemption ever served a purpose, we'd be hard-pressed to understand it today," TLC Commissioner/Chair Meera Joshi said.

The law would close the loophole that allows taxi passengers to ride without a seatbelt.

Fines would range from $25 to $100.