Bristol County Has the Lowest Seat Belt Usage in Massachusetts

Most Massachusetts residents wear seat belts when they drive or are passengers in a car, but some in Bristol County are still reluctant to buckle up. Either that, or they are stubborn or just too lazy.

The first time I saw a seat belt in a car was when I was just a kid in the 1960s and our neighbor Lillian buckled me in for a ride to who knows where. I remember thinking I had done something wrong, so Lillian was punishing me by strapping me to the seat.

Many people have viewed seat belts that way over the years and have refused to use them. It was something about their right to choose for themselves.

Fortunately, those views have changed over the years, as have my own, with Massachusetts reporting record-high seat belt use for 2025.

Seat Belt Use in Massachusetts: By the Numbers

The Office of Grants and Research has released a report indicating record-high seat belt usage (85.5 percent) in Massachusetts last year, a "modest increase" of 1.4 percent from the prior year.

Bristol County Trails the State

Compliance rates are lower in Bristol County, including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, and Attleboro. Bristol County had the lowest seat belt usage rate at 78 percent.

Seat belt usage is mandatory in Massachusetts. For you trivia buffs, New Hampshire is the only state or U.S. province that does not require adults to buckle up.

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Seat Belts and Crash Fatalities

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reports a decrease in fatal motor vehicle crashes with 342 in 2025, down from 364 in 2024.