Will a New Massachusetts Law Limit the Amount of Miles We Can Legally Drive?

Massachusetts is notorious for having a lot of laws, rules, and regulations. Some may seem excessive, annoying, and inconvenient but most laws in Massachusetts are there to protect its residents, especially when it comes to driving.

You might think that Massachusetts laws are outrageous compared to the rest of the country, but according to Finder.com Oregon and Alaska actually have the strictest driving laws in the country based on the company's analysis of drunk driving, seatbelt, and speeding laws. Fines and punishments are higher in those two states than in any other, including Massachusetts.

So we know the basics, laws about speeding, texting and driving drunk driving, proper registering of vehicles, but a new proposed Massachusetts law wants to reduce the number or miles folks are driving in their personal vehicles.

New Massachusetts Laws Aims to Lower Miles Driven in Personal Vehicles

After a 4-1 vote by the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, a new bill is on it's way to the Senate Way & Means Committee, with the goal of reducing the number of miles Massachusetts travel in their personal vehicles.

The Freedom to Move Act, S.2246, if it passes, would require MassDOT to set goals for reducing the number of statewide driving miles. Supported of the bill argue that transportation is the largest contributor to carbon emissions in the state, and that proposition isn't about limiting individuals and the miles the drive, it's about investing in the states infrastructure, forcing Massachusetts to align climate mandates. In addition to environmental impacts, supporters cite traffic congestion as a driving force as well.

Critics argue that folks in rural and some suburban communities lack access to efficient public transport, making personal vehicles the most viable option. However, a sponsor of the bill, Senator Cynthia Stone-Creem (D-Norfolk & Middlesex) acknowledges that what works in Boston might not work for areas like the Berkshires, Cape Cod and even central parts of Massachusetts, and says the bill allows for regional flexibility.

The legislation is based on existing laws and regulations in Colorado and Minnesota, and does not list any specific figures on how many driving miles per person would be reduced, nor does it impose fines, penalties, or taxes on drivers.