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Ch. 213 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(iv) Diminish recovery for damages arising out
of the ownership, maintenance, or operation of a motor vehicle.
(2) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3) of
this subsection, a party, witness, or counsel may not make
reference to a seat belt during a trial of a civil action that
involves property damage, personal injury, or death if the
damage, injury, or death is not related to the design,
manufacture, installation, supplying, or repair of a seat belt.
(3) (i) Nothing contained in this subsection may be
construed to prohibit the right of a person to institute a civil
action for damages against a dealer, manufacturer, distributor,
factory branch, or other appropriate entity arising out of an
incident that involves a defectively installed or defectively
operating seat belt.
(ii) In a civil action in which 2 or more
parties are named as joint tort-feasors, interpleaded as
defendants, or impleaded as defendants, and 1 of the joint
tort-feasors or defendants is not involved in the design,
manufacture, installation, supplying, or repair of a seat belt, a
court shall order separate trials to accomplish the ends of
justice on a motion of any party.
[(h)] (I) The Administration and the Maryland State Police
shall establish prevention and education programs to encourage
compliance with the provisions of this section.
[(i)] (J) The Administration shall include information on
this State's experience with the provisions of this section in
the annual evaluation report on the State's highway safety plan
that this State submits to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and the Federal Highway Administration under 23
U.S.C. § 402.
[(j)] (K) A police officer may enforce the provisions of
this section only as a secondary action when the police officer
detains a driver of a motor vehicle for a suspected violation of
another provision of the Code.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1987.
Approved April 29, 1987.
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