Massachusetts Legislation written in Boston is attempting to make seat belt violations a primary offense. Most recently, Massachusetts state Senator Patricia Jehlen, D-Somerville, reintroduced the measure this year. But the bill has yet to advance beyond the Joint Public Safety Committee. The Boston attorneys at the Law Office of Neil Burns want Boston and Massachusetts residents to practice safe driving methods, and avoid serious personal injury and auto accident injuries.
Massachusetts law already requires most Massachusetts drivers and adult passengers to wear seat belts or face a fine, but police cannot pull over a vehicle for that violation alone. An officer can only stop a car or truck for a so-called primary offense, such as speeding. But when other states have passed laws allowing police to pull over and ticket drivers who are not wearing seat belts, surveys have shown a 10- to 12-percent jump in the rate of buckling up within the first year.
However, Massachusetts has long struggled with whether a tougher seat belt law would improve the number of drivers who strap in or trample on individual rights and privacy. Groups like the National Motorists Association say seat belts should be left to personal judgment, and additional laws could lead to police harassment of drivers. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has also opposed such measures in the past, arguing they could be selectively enforced and lead to racial profiling.
Massachusetts ranks 47th in the United States in rates of seat belt use, with only New Hampshire, Wyoming and South Dakota faring worse, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Still, that rate has significantly improved from 51 percent in 2002 to 74 percent last year, according to the state's Highway Safety Division. The effort to pass new legislation is an effort to push that number even higher.
