Milford Police Receive Grants For Seat Belt And Pedestrian Safety

MILFORD, MA — The Milford Police Department will be stepping up enforcement for pedestrian, bicyclist and seatbelt safety, thanks to two grants from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The grant money comes in right as the department gets ready to join the national "Click it or Ticket" campaign. The campaign starts May 13 and ends June 2.

The Milford police will be joined by the Massachusetts State Police and up to 140 other local departments in this seat belt enforcement campaign. The effort is designed to reduce motor vehicle deaths and injuries.

The current Massachusetts Seat Belt Law requires all motor vehicle occupants to be properly restrained by seat belts when riding in private or commercial vehicles, including vans and trucks. Fines begin at $25 per violation. The seat belt use rate rose significantly to 81.6 percent in Massachusetts last year, but it still lags well behind the national average of 89.7 percent, according to the state’s annual seat belt observation study. Sixty-two percent of the 207 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts in 2017 were unrestrained, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The pedestrian and bicyclist safety grant is aimed at making local roads safer for non-drivers. In Massachusetts, pedestrians represent more than 20 percent of all traffic fatalities. Bicyclists are dying at higher rates nationally as well-the 840 killed in traffic crashes in 2016 are the most since 1991.

Under the grant, departments will pay for overtime enforcement to increase compliance with
traffic laws by all road users. Departments are also eligible to purchase educational materials, bicycle helmets, and safety items to help enhance pedestrian and bicyclist visibility at night.