More Bay State residents are buckling up

More Massachusetts residents are wearing their seat belts this year, state officials said today.



The number of people wearing seat belts rose from 67 percent in 2008 to 74 percent this year in a survey funded by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
"We moved up seven points. That's significant," said Sheila Burgess, director of highway safety for the executive office.

She credited enforcement efforts by police, and education and media campaigns trying to encourage seat belt use. She also said that, following the lead of State Police, more than 100 local police departments have adopted zero-tolerance laws on seat belt violations. That means that if you're stopped for another infraction and an officer sees you don't have your seat belt on, you will get a ticket.

Current Massachusetts law allows police to issue seat belt citations only when they have stopped a vehicle for some other reason – which is known as a secondary seat belt law. Police can flag down a seat belt scofflaw only if they see a child under 12 is not strapped in. Some lawmakers are pushing for a tougher law that would allow officers to stop cars when they see anyone isn't using a seat belt.

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