Traffic Safety
Speed and traffic enforcement
As part of our normal patrol operations, the
Northbridge Police Department enforces all laws
governing the safe operation of motor vehicles. All
marked patrol units are equipped with
state-of-the-art radar units to monitor and deter
speed limit violators. Towards that goal the
department also utilizes a "stealth" police vehicle.
This patrol car is fully marked, but does not have
the customary emergency lighting equipment on its
roof, thus making it more difficult for violators to
detect. All patrol cars are now equipped with laptop
computers that can communicate with the police
department, or state agencies.
Speed Display Trailer
As an additional deterrent and safety measure, the
Northbridge Police department purchased in June of
2000 a digital SPEED TRAILER.
The 900 pound trailer is towed by a police vehicle
to an area in town that needs additional enforcement
and set up for monitoring speed. While the speeds
displayed on the message board are accurate, this
trailer is not designed to take photos of passing
cars or used to issue summonses.
Use of this sign, followed with periodic
enforcement, has proven to be an effective means of
making drivers more aware of their speed. As a
reminder, most town streets and roadways have a
posted speed limit of 30 MPH.
If you feel a need for additional enforcement on
your street, please contact the police department.
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Graduated
Licensing Law (Effective Date: November 4, 1998)
Learner's Permits
Effective on November 4, 1998, you may not operate a
motor vehicle with a Learner's Permit unless you are
accompanied by an operator, duly licensed in his or her
state of residence, who is 21 years of age or over, who has
had at least one (1) year of driving experience and who is
occupying a seat beside you. Also, as the holder of a
Learner's Permit, you may not operate a motor vehicle
between the hours of 12:00 AM (midnight) and 5:00 AM unless
you are at least 18 years of age or are accompanied by your
parent or guardian, who is a validly licensed operator with
at least one (1) year of driving experience. These
provisions will apply whether you obtained your Learner's
Permit before or after the effective date. (NOTE: if you are
over 18 when you obtain your Learner's Permit, you will be
subject to the requirement that any licensed operator
providing behind-the-wheel instruction must be at least 21
years of age.)
The Junior Operator License Law
Any motor vehicle operator or motorcyclist between the ages
of 16 1/2 and 18 is considered
a Junior Operator. The Junior Operator Law has several
requirements and restrictions that
significantly affect the operation of a motor vehicle by a
person who has a Junior Operator’s
License (JOL). The basic purpose of the law is to provide
new drivers supervised
opportunities in which to develop good driving skills, while
keeping those drivers free of the
possible distractions caused by friends under age 18 who are
present while the drivers are
behind the wheel.
Requirements to Obtain a JOL
An applicant for a driver's license between ages 16 1/2 and
18 must comply with several
requirements to obtain a JOL:
Have a valid learner's permit for at least six consecutive
months before taking the road
test. (Any suspension will invalidate the permit and the six
months will start to run
anew when the suspension is lifted.)
Maintain a clean driving record for at least six consecutive
months before taking the
road test.
Successfully complete a Registrar-approved driver
education and training program, which includes 30 hours of classroom instruction; 12 hours
of in-car, behind-the-wheel
training; and six hours of in-car experience observing other
student drivers.
Complete at least an additional 40 hours of supervised,
behind-the-wheel driving as
shown by a certified statement provided by a parent or
guardian.
The RMV will accept 30 hours of driving supervised by a
parent or guardian if the
applicant completed a driver skills development program.
A parent or guardian must participate in two hours of
instruction on the driver’s
education curriculum (unless they have participated within
the past five years).
Pass a final exam to have a driver’s education certificate
electronically filed with the
RMV.
JOL License Restrictions
The following restrictions apply to all Junior Operators:
You may not operate a motor vehicle within the first six
months after receiving your JOL
while any person under age 18 is in the vehicle (other than
you or an immediate family
member), unless you are accompanied by a person who is at
least 21 years old, has at
least one year of driving experience, holds a valid driver's
license from Massachusetts
or another state, and is occupying a seat beside you.
General Rule: The passenger restriction that applies to you
as a JOL holder under age
18 is lifted once you complete the six-month period (or the
portion that applies to you)
or you reach age 18, whichever occurs first.
The six-month passenger restriction period will stop
running, temporarily, during
any suspension. When your JOL is reinstated, you will still
have to complete the
remainder of the six-month restriction period that existed
at the beginning of the
suspension period, unless you have already turned 18.
As the holder of a JOL, you may not operate a motor
vehicle between 12:30 a.m. and
5:00 a.m. unless you are accompanied by one of your parents
or your legal guardian. If
you are found operating a motor vehicle in violation of this
restriction, you may be charged
with operating a motor vehicle without being licensed. This
is a criminal violation.
Note: The law states that between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m.
and between 4:00 a.m.
and 5:00 a.m., the provisions of the law shall be enforced
by law enforcement agencies
only when a Junior Operator of a motor vehicle has been
lawfully stopped for a violation
of the motor vehicle laws or some other offense. This is
called "secondary
enforcement." However, it is still illegal for you to
operate during those times without a
parent present in the car.
See Chapter Two for a list of the penalties and fees you
will face for violating any of these restrictions.
If you violate the passenger restriction or the night
restriction, you will be subject to a
license suspension of 60 days for a first offense, 180 days
for a second offense, and
one year for subsequent offenses. For a second or subsequent
offense, you will also
be required to complete a Driver Attitudinal Retraining
course. The law requires the
Registrar to impose this suspension in addition to any other
penalty, fine, suspension,
revocation, or requirement that may be imposed in connection
with a violation
committed at the time you were violating the passenger or
night restriction.
You may not operate a motor vehicle that requires a
commercial driver's license
(CDL).
You will be suspended for one year if you are under 18
when you have committed
certain driving offenses and alcohol or drugs were involved
(180 days if age 18 to 21),
in addition to any penalty assessed by a court or other law.
(For details, see the
License Suspension or Revocation section of Chapter Two.)
You will be ineligible for a full license until you have
completed the period of suspension
imposed while operating with a JOL and you reach age 18.
You will face additional suspension periods of one year
for a first drag racing offense
and three years for a subsequent offense. For a first
speeding offense, you will be
suspended for 90 days; for a subsequent offense, you will be
suspended for one year.
LICENSE Violations
|
Violation |
1st Offense |
2nd Offense |
3rd Offense |
|
Passenger Restriction |
60 day suspension
$100 reinstatement fee |
180 day suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course
$100 reinstatement fee |
1 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course Full Exam
$100 reinstatement fee |
Time Restriction Violation
12:30am-5am |
60 day suspension
$100 reinstatement fee |
180 day suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course
$100 reinstatement fee |
1 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course
Full Exam
$100 reinstatement fee |
Operating to Endanger/
Recklessly or Negligent |
180 day suspension
$500 reinstatement
|
1 year suspension
Full exam
$500 Reinstatement
|
1 year suspension
Full exam
$500 Reinstatement
|
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Drag-Racing |
1 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
Full Exam
$500 reinstatement fee |
3 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
Full Exam
$1000 reinstatement |
3 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
Full Exam
$1000 reinstatement |
|
Speeding |
90 day suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
$500 reinstatement fee
Full Exam |
1 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
$500 reinstatement fee
Full Exam |
1 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
$500 reinstatement fee
Full Exam |
PERMIT Violations
|
Violation |
1st Offense |
2nd Offense |
3rd Offense |
|
Unaccompanied by Licensed Driver |
60 day suspension
$100 reinstatement
Reapply for Permit
|
180 day suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply for Permit |
1 year suspension
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply for Permit
|
|
Drag-Racing |
1 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
Reapply for Permit
$500 reinstatement fee |
3 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
Reapply for Permit
$1000 reinstatement fee |
3 year suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course & SCARR*
Reapply for Permit
$1000 reinstatement fee |
Time Restriction
Violation
12am-5am |
60 day suspension
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply for Permit |
180 day suspension
Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply for Permit |
1 year suspension
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply Permit
|
|
Speeding |
90 day suspension
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply for Permit |
1 year suspension
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply for Permit |
1 year suspension
$100 reinstatement fee
Reapply for Permit
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Massachusetts Seat Belt Law
Operators & Passengers, Including Children Age 12 and Over
Chapter 90 Section 13A states;
No person shall operate a private passenger motor vehicle or
ride in a private passenger motor vehicle, a vanpool vehicle
or truck under eighteen thousand pounds on any way unless
such person is wearing a safety belt which is properly
adjusted and fastened; provided, however, that this
provision shall not apply to:
(a) any child less than 12 years of age who is subject to
the provisions of section 7AA;
(b) any person riding in a motor vehicle manufactured before
July 1, 1966;
(c) any person who is physically unable to use safety belts;
provided, however, that such condition is duly certified by
a physician who shall state the nature of the handicap, as
well as the reasons such restraint is inappropriate;
provided, further, that no such physician shall be subject
to liability in any civil action for the issuance or for the
failure to issue such certificate;
(d) any rural carrier of the United States Postal Service
operating a motor vehicle while in the performance of his
duties; provided, however, that such rural mail carrier
shall be subject to department regulations regarding the use
of safety belts or occupant crash protection devices;
(e) anyone involved in the operation of taxis, liveries,
tractors, trucks with gross weight of eighteen thousand
pounds or over, buses, and passengers of authorized
emergency vehicles.
Any person who operates a motor vehicle without a safety
belt, and any person sixteen years of age or over who rides
as a passenger in a motor vehicle without wearing a safety
belt in violation of this section, shall be subject to a
fine of twenty-five dollars. Any operator of a motor vehicle
shall be subject to an additional fine of twenty-five
dollars for each person under the age of sixteen and no
younger than twelve who is a passenger in said motor vehicle
and not wearing a safety belt.
The provisions of this section shall be enforced by law
enforcement agencies only when an operator of a motor
vehicle has been stopped for a violation of the motor
vehicle laws or some other offense.
Any person who receives a citation for violating this
section may contest such citation pursuant to section three
of chapter ninety C. A violation of this section shall not
be considered as a conviction of a moving violation of the
motor vehicle laws for the purpose of determining surcharges
on motor vehicle premiums pursuant to section one hundred
and thirteen B of chapter one hundred and seventy-five.
Massachusetts existing child passenger law
Infants and small children must ride in car seats until; 1)
They are at least 5 years old, and 2), they weigh over 40
pounds.
The type of car seats permitted include federally approved
infant, toddler, convertible and booster seats
Children who weigh more than 40 pounds but are under 5 years
old must ride in a booster seat.
Children who are 5 years of age or older, and also weigh
more than 40 pounds, must wear a seat belt that is properly
adjusted
Federally approved booster seats are permitted and
recommended for children who weigh between 40 and 60 pounds
Children using the vehicle seat belt only should not place
the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back.
This law applies to children riding in:
all types of privately owned vehicles
vehicles for hire, including taxi cabs. It is the
responsibility of a child's parent or caregiver to provide
the car seat to use in a taxi cab.
This law does not apply to:
children riding in school buses.
children riding in a vehicle made before July 1, 1966 that
does not have safety belts.
children physically unable to use either a conventional car
seat or a child restraint specifically designed for children
with special needs. Inability to use a child restraint of
either type must be certified in writing by a physician.
The safest place for children is in the back seat.
Always put your baby in the back seat, still facing the
rear, until he or she is old enough and large enough to face
forward (at least 20 pounds and age 1). Never turn a baby
under 20 pounds to face the front of the car. This could
cause spinal cord injury in a crash.
When possible, have an adult ride in back with a new baby or
any infant who has special medical problems.
Any child is protected best by riding in the rear seat in a
safety seat or belt that fits correctly.
If a child over 20 pounds riding in a forward-facing safety
seat must sit in front, slide the vehicle seat as far back
as it will go. The child will be cushioned by the air bag
when it has opened fully. Older children and adults in the
front seat must use lap and shoulder belts to be protected.
Aggressive Drivers
The aggressive driver is identified as anyone who commits
violations such as:
Driving while intoxicated
Speeding
Following too closely
Making unsafe lane changes
Driving carelessly or inattentively
Disregarding traffic signals or stop signs
Failing to keep right
REMEMBER: The law requires that you must yield for
pedestrians in crosswalks.
Child Passenger Safety
Despite widespread efforts to educate drivers about the
importance of properly restraining children in vehicles,
auto accidents continue to be a leading cause of death among
young people. Almost six out of ten children killed in
collisions are unrestrained, indicating that a large number
of these deaths could be are prevented. In Massachusetts, as
well as many other states, it is illegal for children to
ride unrestrained, yet in four out of ten cases, drivers
donít properly restrain their young passengers. Northbridge
police officers are extremely concerned about this problem
and are quite vigilant in stopping and issuing summonses to
drivers who violate this provision of the motor vehicle
laws.
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