Seat belt enforcement campaign ‘Click It or Ticket’ is on in full force

News headline from the Riverside Police Department:

Motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware! The 2012 Start-of-Summer Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization kicked off May 21 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.

Riverside Police Department is joining with other state and local law enforcement officers to help save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws around the clock.

Seat belts are the most effective piece of life saving equipment on your car. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nationally in 2010, passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle crashes and 51 percent of them were not wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.

Statistics also show nighttime crashes are the most dangerous with 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in nighttime motor vehicle traffic crashes were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, compared to 42 percent during the daytime hours.

“Seat belts save lives,” says Riverside Chief of Police Sergio Diaz. “One important reason why traffic fatalities among young people are at an all-time low is the increased use of seat belts. However, there are still too many who neglect to buckle up. The best example you can give a young person is to use your seat belt and to insist that all passengers do the same. It’s a life-saving habit.”

Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year and the Riverside Police Department is helping spread the word. NHTSA statistics show that in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide.

Younger motorists and men are particularly at risk. Data shows that among teen and young adult passenger vehicle occupants in 2010, ages 18-34, who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, 62 percent were not buckled up at the time of the crash – the highest percentage of any age group. The number jumps to 66 percent when just men in this age group are included.

While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization officially runs from May 21 through June 3, motorists should know that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round. Total costs of a first time ticket are at least $142.

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