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The director of the state's highway safety agency is taking heat from some New Hampshire police chiefs for his opposition to a proposed mandatory seatbelt law.

In a letter last week, Belmont Police Chief Vinnie Baiocchetti blasted Peter Thomson, coordinator of the Governor's Highway Safety Agency, for what he called "irresponsible, degrading and insulting" testimony during last month's hearing on the seatbelt bill.

Baiocchetti said his department will no longer accept state funds for seatbelt programs, though he still plans to have officers spot check that children are properly restrained, using his own budget. And he encouraged other departments around New Hampshire to also refuse state money.

Some of that disdain has carried over to other police chiefs, who said the man responsible for reducing car accident injuries and deaths should be supportive of a law that would accomplish that.

New Hampshire is the only state that does not require everyone to buckle up. This year was the first that the New Hampshire Police Chiefs Association backed legislation to make a change, in large part because of a recent spike in fatal accidents. Last year, 167 were killed -- the most since 1989, when 190 people died. At least 41 of those deaths could have been prevented if seatbelts were used, officials said.

Shortly after a February hearing on the seatbelt bill, which Thomson called intrusive and unnecessary, the House Transportation Committee voted 12-2 in opposition, effectively killing the measure.

Thomson, who has been the director of highway safety for 12 years, said yesterday that he hasn't yet responded to Baiocchetti's letter. But he said it's not his job to tell lawmakers what to put on the books, although he feels "very strongly about the use of seatbelts," he said.

Statistics show more than 66 percent of New Hampshire drivers wore seatbelts voluntarily last year, up from 16 percent 20 years ago, he said. "That shows the efforts of all we are doing. State police, local police and the Department of Safety -we're doing a good job," he said. "He (Baiocchetti) wanted me to beat the legislators over the head (about the need for a seatbelt law) and I'm not going to do it."...

In his letter -- which was also sent to the governor and Executive Council, Safety Commissioner Richard Flynn, the federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -- [Baiocchetti] reminded Thomson that his agency is responsible for reducing injuries and deaths related to crashes....

Londonderry Police Chief Joe Ryan, chairman of the New Hampshire Police Chiefs Association highway safety committee, was also at the hearing when Thomson testified....

He [said] that he was shocked by Thomson's view.

"I spoke to Mr. Thomson the week prior (to the hearing) and I inquired his position," Ryan said. "He said he had none and that he would wait for direction from the governor. I find that kind of amazing. I believe the director of the highway safety agency should be giving advice and direction, as opposed to waiting for the powers that be to show him the way."

"If youngsters see adults are not required to do what they are required to do, that's not as effective," he said. " Seatbelts save lives, and no one can argue with that. No one can argue with that. For the director of highway safety to be in opposition is amazing to me - it's contradictory to everything we know."

The seatbelt bill is due out of the House transportation committee today and could go to the floor March 30.

Full article, by Rebecca Tsaros Dickson, at the Concord Monitor

 DSA Comments:   As has been previously mentioned on this website, at Drive and Stay Alive we are incredulous at Peter Thompson's professionally indefensible standpoint.

     Furthermore, his claim that a 66% usage rate is acceptable is not only preposterous, it is also in conflict with an independent survey which gave a much lower compliance rate for the state.

     Any person who thinks of a seat belt law as being "intrusive and unnecessary" (see above), or who is prepared to use anecdotal "evidence" in an attempt to denigrate law enforcement officers for enforcing safety laws is most certainly unworthy of a job in road safety.

     Given the excellent standards and achievements of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) at a national level, one might suspect that many of their members might not be too impressed by Mr. Thompson's standpoint, either.

Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.