PennDot announces Monday afternoon a partnership with State Police for the Nationwide "Click it or Ticket" Campaign.
PennDOT, Pennsylvania State and local police are partnering for a
nationwide
“Click It or Ticket” seat-belt enforcement which starts today, May 19 and
runs
through June 8.
“Increased safety efforts, education and enforcement are helping to drive
down
the number of unbelted crashes and deaths, but there is still work to do,”
PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “For everyone’s safety, I urge all
drivers to buckle up both day and night, regardless of how far they are
traveling.”
Pennsylvania is one of 11 states and Ontario, Canada, participating in the
“Border-to-Border” seat-belt initiative. The enforcement effort involves
350
law enforcement agencies across the northeast with increased enforcement at
state borders. Throughout the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization,
enforcement
will focus on nighttime operations, using Traffic Enforcement Zones, and
roving
patrols.
Last year in Pennsylvania, 425 people died in unrestrained crashes
statewide, a
notable decrease from 503 such fatalities in 2012. Also, the number of
crashes
involving people not wearing seat belts decreased to 14,436 last year, down
from 15,528 in 2012.
“Vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death, with most
fatalities
being attributed to unbelted motorists,” said State Police Commissioner
Frank
Noonan. “Currently, the Commonwealth’s seat belt usage rate is 84 percent
and
it is our goal to increase this rate by the end of 2014.”
Motorists are reminded that Pennsylvania’s primary seat-belt law requires
drivers and passengers under the age of 18 to buckle up, and children under
the
age of four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat.
Children ages 4 to 8 must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat. In
addition, children ages 8 to 18 must be must be in a seat belt when riding
anywhere in the vehicle.
Also, drivers and front-seat passengers 18 years-old or older are required
to
buckle up. If motorists are stopped for a traffic violation and are not
wearing
their seat belt, they can receive a second ticket and second fine.