Sheriff Armando Fontoura today reminds motorists the importance of buckling up in both the front and back seats while traveling.
In 2017, 635 people died in New Jersey as a result of motor vehicle crashes, marking the deadliest year in a decade, and half of those fatalities involved drivers and passengers who were not wearing seatbelts.
"The front seat belt usage rate in New Jersey is currently at over 91%," Fontoura pointed out. "However, passengers riding in rear seats are only buckling up at a rate of 39%.”
A recent statistical report, issued by the Washington, D. C.- based Advocates for Highway and Auto safety, a coalition of consumer groups and insurance companies, revealed that motor vehicle crashes cost New Jersey $12.9 billion a year, in addition to the loss of lives.
While New Jersey laws fall short of allowing officers to stop a vehicle whose passengers aren't wearing rear seatbelts, Sheriff Fontoura noted, that shouldn't be an excuse not to wear this vital safety equipment. With motor vehicle fatalities on the upswing, bucking up the driver and all passengers in seat belts should be the first order of business upon entering a motor vehicle, even before you put the key in the ignition.