Law Pushed After Study Shows Massachusetts Seat Belt Drop

A coalition is pushing for a new seat belt enforcement law after a study showed that seat belt use in Massachusetts is among the lowest in the country.

According to a University of Massachusetts study prepared for the state, seat belt use overall is down slightly from last year to 73 percent. The study also found that the use of seat belts by teenagers dropped 3.6 percent to below 69 percent.

The Belts Ensure a Safer Tomorrow coalition is renewing its call for lawmakers to take action on a primary enforcement bill that would allow police to stop drivers solely because people in their cars are not wearing seat belts. Currently, police in Massachusetts can only enforce seat belt laws if a person is being stopped for another offense.