Massachusetts · Handbook chapter 3 · 5 min read
Chapter 3: Safety first
Required vehicle equipment, the Massachusetts safety belt and child seat laws, air bags, distractions inside the car, and the hands-free law with its fines.
Why this chapter matters
Safety belts and phones are where new drivers most often break the law without meaning to. Massachusetts has a hands-free law for adults, a total ban for drivers under 18, and fines that rise from $100 to $500.
Required equipment
Every passenger vehicle must have working safety belts for everyone, mirrors, a horn, an ignition lock, windshield wipers, a muffler, a foot brake and a parking brake, a driver's window that opens and closes, headlights, brake lights and directional signals. At the back you need two red lights, three red brake lights and a white light over the plate.
- Every vehicle must pass a safety and emissions inspection every year.
- If your directional signals or brake lights fail, fix them right away and use hand signals until then.
- Side and rear windows may be tinted, but not darker than the 35 percent limit. Tinting the windshield is illegal.
- Flashing or rotating emergency lights need an RMV permit.
- Keep plates clean and readable from 60 feet at night.
- Tires need at least 2/32 inch of tread, with no exposed cords or fabric breaks.
Car safety kit
The RMV recommends a reflective vest, warning triangles or LED flares, a first aid kit, a glass breaker and white and red cloths, kept where you can reach them from inside the car. In winter add winter tires, an ice scraper, jumper cables and warm clothes.
Safety belt law
Everyone in a passenger vehicle (including vans and small trucks under 18,000 pounds) must wear a safety belt or ride in a child restraint.
- A driver without a belt can be fined $25, and so can any passenger aged 16 or older.
- The driver is fined $25 for each passenger aged 12 to 15 who is not buckled.
- You can be fined under the belt law only when you are stopped for another traffic violation.
- Worn correctly, belts cut the risk of death or serious injury by about half. The lap belt sits low and flat over the hips; the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest, never under the arm or across the neck.
Child passengers
- Children ride in a federally approved child restraint until they are at least 8 years old or at least 57 inches tall. The fine is $25.
- The safest place for a child is the back seat, ideally the middle. Infant seats face backward.
- Never put a rear-facing child seat in a front seat with an air bag.
- Children under 12 may not ride in the bed of a pickup truck, with very limited exceptions and never above 5 mph.
Air bags
Air bags work with safety belts, not instead of them. Front air bags are built for head-on crashes and do not protect you in side or rear impacts. Move the front seats as far back as you comfortably can.
Belt myths
Being "trapped" by a belt is rare: a belt keeps you conscious so you can get out. Most crashes happen within 25 miles of home, and eight in ten happen at 40 mph or less, so short trips need belts too.
Distractions inside the vehicle
- Nothing on the dashboard, windshield or mirror may block your view, and nothing may roll under the pedals.
- You may not wear headphones or any device that cuts you off from the sounds around you. Drivers 18 or older may use one earpiece for a phone.
- Any TV screen must be behind the front seat and out of the driver's sight.
- Keep the radio low enough to hear sirens.
The hands-free law
Massachusetts bans hand-held use of mobile electronic devices while driving.
Drivers 18 and older
- Devices may be used only in hands-free mode. You may not hold the device or touch it except to switch on hands-free mode, and it must be mounted on the windshield, dashboard or center console where it does not get in the way.
- You may not write, send or read any text, email or message, or browse the internet, while driving.
- A mounted phone or GPS may be used for navigation.
- Hand-held use is allowed only when the vehicle is stopped and out of the travel lanes. A red light or STOP sign does not count. Do not stop on the side of a busy road just to use your phone.
Drivers under 18
No use of any mobile electronic device for any reason, hands-free or not, except to report an emergency.
Penalties
| Offense | Penalty |
|---|---|
| First | $100 fine |
| Second | $250 fine and a distracted driving education program |
| Third and later | $500 fine, an insurance surcharge and the education program |
Causing injury or damage because you were using a device is a crime and costs you your license.
Frequently asked questions
Can you hold your phone at a red light in Massachusetts?
No. Hand-held use is only allowed when the vehicle is stationary and outside a public travel lane. Red lights and STOP signs do not count.
What is the fine for texting while driving in Massachusetts?
$100 for a first offense, $250 plus an education program for a second, and $500 plus an insurance surcharge and the program for a third or later offense.
Who pays the fine if a 14-year-old passenger is not buckled up?
The driver, who can be fined $25 for each passenger aged 12 to 15 without a belt.
When can a child stop using a car seat in Massachusetts?
When the child is at least 8 years old or at least 57 inches tall. From then on the child must wear a safety belt.
How often must a car be inspected?
Every year, for both safety and emissions.
Based on the Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Class D), April 2026, revised August 2026, MassDOT Registry of Motor Vehicles, Chapter 2: Safety First.