FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/15/13
CONTACT: Lt Jeff Dickan, Bedford Police Department, (914)241-3111
Click It or Ticket to Boost Seat Belt Use – Day and Night
[Bedford, NY] – Motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware. The 2013 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization kicks off May 20 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.
The Bedford Police Department is joining with other state and local law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates across the country to help save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws around the clock.
[Bedford, NY) As motorists take to the roads this Memorial Day holiday, the Bedford Police are urging everyone to buckle up. Beginning May 20, 2013 law enforcement officials will be out in full force, taking part in the 2013 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization and cracking down on motorists who are not belted.
“As we kick-off the busy summer driving season it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night – no excuses,” said Bedford Police Lieutenant Melvin Padilla. “Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt – Click It or Ticket.”
On the morning of May 20th, the Bedford Police Department will be joining law enforcement agencies throughout the northeast in mobilizing the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) “Border to Border” Operation.
Law enforcement agencies that share State borders will team up to provide increased seat belt enforcement at border sites, sending a ‘zero tolerance’ message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what State.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. As noted, deaths involving seat belt nonuse are more prevalent at night than during the daytime. According to NHTSA, 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 during the overnight hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.
“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said Lieutenant Padilla. “We want everyone to have a safe summer, but it requires an important step on the part of motorists – clicking that seat belt.”
In 2011, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide according to NHTSA. While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 20 through June 2, officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.
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