Buckle Those Seat Belts

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The sun is out, the beach is open, and everyone is in the car racing off to somewhere to enjoy.

Bringing attention to the need for New Jersey drivers and their passengers to buckle up has been a major part of the Motor Vehicle Commission’s (MVC) efforts to increase safety on highways and local roads.

With its partners at the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety and state and local law enforcement, the MVC has sought to increase seat belt usage and educate the public about the state’s seat belt laws. Statewide, more than 93 percent of drivers are in compliance for front seat belt usage, putting New Jersey on the right track to keep motorists safe.

In New Jersey, all passengers of a vehicle (front and back) must wear a seat belt. Failure to wear a seat belt as a front seat passenger is a primary offense, allowing law enforcement to stop the vehicle if an officer does not see a seat belt being used. For passengers in the back seat, it is a secondary offense for failure to wear a seat belt. Passengers may be cited if the vehicle is stopped for another offense.