An Act establishing a primary seat belt law

This bill updates Massachusetts seat belt laws to make them "primary," allowing police officers to stop and ticket drivers or passengers solely for not wearing a seat belt. Currently, officers can only issue a ticket if they have stopped the vehicle for another violation, but this change would let them enforce the rule directly. The law applies to all drivers and passengers aged 16 and older, while also holding drivers financially responsible for unbelted passengers between 12 and 16 years old. Fines for violations are set at $50 per person, and the money collected will be used to fund head injury treatment services rather than increasing insurance premiums.