Click It or Ticket to Boost Seat Belt Use

valpopoliceThe Valparaiso Police Department will be participating in a state wide blitz focusing on motorists and passengers that fail to properly wear a seat belt. This blitz begins on Friday May 18th, 2012.

This national mobilization will take place over the Memorial Day holiday period and is supported by thousands of law enforcement agencies and traffic safety advocates across the country. In Indiana, more than 250 law enforcement agencies will conduct special patrols – day and night, to identify and ticket unrestrained motorists. The effort will conclude on June 3rd.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2010 nationally, 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes overnight (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 42 percent during the daytime hours.

In Indiana, there were 3,322 crashes involving unrestrained drivers/occupants in 2011 and 202 fatalities involving unrestrained drivers/occupants.

Just last year in Indiana, 1,024 people were ejected from their motor vehicles due to being unrestrained. Nationwide, younger motorists and men are particularly at risk.

The Valparaiso Police Department will be working extra patrols during this blitz searching for motorists and passengers that are unrestrained in their vehicles.