Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Lynbrook officials say that drivers — and passengers — should expect stricter enforcement of traffic laws, including seat belt violations, as part of an ongoing effort to improve public safety across the village.
Mayor Alan Beach said he had directed the Police Department to be more proactive on traffic-law enforcement, and that it was time to start issuing more tickets.
“I don’t want people to worry about getting hit by a car while crossing the road,” Beach said.
The initiative comes as the department continues its participate in the Buckle Up New York grant program, a statewide effort to increase seat belt use through high-visibility enforcement and public education.
As part of the program, officers often position themselves at stop signs and other strategic locations, looking for unbelted drivers and passengers, Lynbrook Police Chief Brian Paladino said.
“We have a sign, and some people come through and we wave them over if they don’t have a seat belt,” Paladino said.
He explained that enforcement focuses on visibility and compliance, rather than revenue.
New York’s seat belt law was expanded in 2020 to require backseat passengers ages 16 and older to wear seat belts. Up to that point, only front-seat passengers and children under 16 were required to buckle up.
Violators who are 16 and older can be fined $50, plus a mandatory surcharge. Drivers can also be held accountable if their passengers are unbelted.
Paladino noted that officers often spot violations while observing traffic, and sometimes see children moving freely in vehicles.
“A kid walking around (in) the car — that happens,” he said. “Five- or 6-year-olds not belted in … around the ’70s, that was cool. Now it’s not.”
National data supports the need for stronger enforcement. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that front seat-belt use was roughly 91.6 percent in 2022, while rear seat use lagged, at 81.7 percent.
In response to those numbers, NHTSA announced new federal regulations in December that will require all new vehicles to include rear seat-belt warning systems by September 2027. Front-seat warning systems will be enhanced starting in 2026.
Currently, 30 states, including New York, allow police officers to stop vehicles solely for seat belt violations involving backseat passengers. In neighboring New Jersey, officers can issue such a violation only if a vehicle was stopped for another reason.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed the 2020 update to the state’s seat belt law, cited research showing that about 30 percent of highway deaths in New York involved unbelted occupants. While 90 percent of adults in New York wear seat belts in the front seat, studies have shown that only 76 percent do so in the back, and even fewer buckle up in for-hire vehicles.
Paladino emphasized that the goal in Lynbrook is not punitive, but preventive. “It’s not supposed to be about just giving out tickets,” he said. “It’s supposed to be about educating the public.”
