AUGUSTA (AP) – The Maine Senate, following the lead of Wednesday’s vote in the House of Representatives, gave final approval Thursday to an amended bill that would make failure by motorists to use seat belts a primary offense.

The Senate vote was 19-15 and Gov. John Baldacci is expected to sign the measure into law.

Originally the House had narrowly rejected the concept of making failure to buckle up reason enough for police action. The amended version that passed this week was designed to prohibit searches of vehicles and occupants solely because of a seat-belt use infraction.

The amended version also calls for only warnings until April 1, 2008.

Thursday’s Senate vote came as the bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Christine Savage of Union, was called to the podium to serve temporarily as the Senate’s presiding officer.

Applause broke out after Savage, who is a Transportation Committee veteran, announced the vote. Clapping came even from among those who opposed the measure.

Maine’s present law provides for citation for a seat belt violation only when a driver has been stopped for another driving infraction.

The bill would move failure to use seat belts from a secondary to a primary offense, allowing a police officer to detain and cite a driver or passenger 18 or older solely for not wearing a seat belt.

Seat belts and child safety seats are already mandatory and a primary offense for persons under 18 in Maine.

The Bureau of Highway Safety reported last fall that 77 percent of Maine motorists used their seat belts, the highest level since the state began surveying motorists two decades ago.

The final Senate vote came without much debate.

Republican Sen. Roger Sherman of Houlton suggested that state voters should be asked to endorse the sort of change being proposed.

Maine’s mandatory seat-belt law was narrowly approved by voters in a 1995 referendum.

Before the law took effect, authorities estimated that about one-third of Mainers buckled up in the car.

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