Highway safety advocacy group urges New Hampshire to require adults to use seat belts

(The Center Square) – New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that does not require adults to wear seat belts, and that policy decision kept it at the lowest level rating in the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety’s latest state-by-state safety report, which the organization released this month.

“That is for sure, far and away, at the top of our list for New Hampshire,” said Tara Gill, Advocates’ senior director advocacy and state legislation. “The state is lacking many of the critical traffic safety laws that Advocates recommends, but if somebody said, ‘You can only get one law passed,’ that would be our recommendation: a primary enforcement, all occupant seat belt requirement.”

New Hampshire legislators considered House Bill 1622, the secondary enforcement of adults’ use of seat belts, last session, but it died in chamber in the Senate. With primary enforcement, law enforcement officials can issue tickets if they just see an adult not wearing a seat belt.

“While it some ways it was better than nothing, a primary enforcement bill is still considerably more effective,” Gill said.

This session, legislators are considering HB251, which would require children younger than 2 to ride in a rear facing car seat until they are at least 40 inches tall and weigh at least 40 pounds. Rep. Donovan Fenton, a Democrat, is a sponsor of the bill.

“We definitely hope that bill crosses the finish line – and we will be there to support it – and that there are future opportunities to get a seat belt bill through the Legislature as well,” Gill said.

Advocates also encourages the state to enact an “all-rider” motorcycle helmet law, a booster seat law and more restrictive requirements for its graduated driving license program.

There were 90 fatal crashes, which killed 101 people, in New Hampshire in 2019, the state’s Highway Safety Plan 2021 report said. Fifty-six of the crashes involved alcohol or drugs and killed 64 people. Seat belt usage in the front seat outboard passenger seat was 71% in 2019, down from 76% in 2018.

The state is one of 12 states that earned a red rating for “lagging dangerously behind” in the adoption of Advocates’ recommended laws. The other states are Missouri, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Florida, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Virginia. The highest rating the report gives is “green,” followed by “yellow.”

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