Swampscott Police To Step Up Seat Belt Use Enforcement

SWAMPSCOTT, MA —Those driving through Swampscott over the next few weeks are reminded to buckle up as Swampscott police put on extra patrols looking for violators of the state's seat belt law.

A grant from the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's Office of Grants and Research will go toward Swampscott police's efforts to "remind drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seatbelt."

"Seat belts are the single most important safety item in our vehicles," said Swampscott Police Chief Ron Madigan said. "We see firsthand the devastating consequences of drivers and their passengers not buckling up. These funds will increase our traffic enforcement presence to help end these preventable tragedies."

According to the National Highway Travel and Safety Administration, Massachusetts ranks 45th in the nation in seat belt use with only 81.6 percent of drivers and passengers regularly buckling up. The NHTSA said the national average was 90.7 percent in 2019.

Those driving pickup trucks and SUVs have higher fatalities of those not wearing seat belts than passenger cars.

According to NHTSA, seat belts saved an estimated 61 lives in Massachusetts in 2018.

"Seat belts save lives. It's as simple as that," said Jeff Larason, Division Director of the OGR's Highway Safety Division. "Massachusetts has one of the lowest seat belt use rates in the nation.

"We need to change that."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)