The law requires all drivers and passengers to wear properly adjusted and fastened safety belts while traveling in motor vehicles on public ways. It does not apply to: children under five years old who are required by another law to wear safety belts or be restrained in safety car seats; passengers in vehicles where all safety belts are being used by others; passengers in buses; persons riding in vehicles built before July 1,1966, or in which safety belts were not installed as original equipment; or persons who are certified by a physician to be physically unable to use safety belts. The law also does not apply to police officers, rural mail carriers, or drivers or passengers of other vehicles that stop frequently and travel at speeds not exceeding 15 miles per hour between stops.

Drivers or passengers sixteen years or older who do not wear safety belts are subject to a $15.00 fine. The driver of a vehicle is also subject to a $15.00 fine for each passenger under sixteen who does not wear a safety belt. This law, however, can be enforced only if the driver is stopped for a violation of another motor vehicle law. Safety belt violations will not result in surcharges on motor vehicle insurance premiums. The law also requires that when the Commissioner of Insurance sets motor vehicle insurance rates, the rates must reflect any savings attributable to increased use of safety belts.

The law also requires that all motor vehicles manufactured after September 1,1989, that are sold or registered in Massachusetts be equipped with crash protection devices, as specified by federal regulations. Any manufacturer who sells or delivers motor vehicles that are not equipped with such safety devices will be subject to a fine of not more than $100 for each sale or delivery. This law is not intended to eliminate the federal requirements for passive crash protection devices in motor vehicles.

The law also provides that a non-binding question, unlike this binding referendum, shall be placed on the 1986 general election ballot asking whether the voters approve of the law.