Throughout the township officers from the Township of Ocean Police Department will be cracking down on unbuckled motorists and passengers as part of the national “Click it or Ticket” campaign.
Beginning May 18 and running through May 31, the annual initiative includes high visibility law enforcement seat belt checkpoints and saturation patrols, as well as local and national publicity designed to ensure that drivers and passengers recognize the life- saving value of seat belts.
“Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a driver and his or her passengers to protect themselves when traveling,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. "In 2012 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,000 lives nationwide.”
The front seat belt usage rate in New Jersey currently stands at 87.59%. Poedubicky noted that the goal for this year’s campaign is to increase the statewide rate to 90%. “To meet our goal, we must rededicate our enforcement and public outreach efforts that educate all motor vehicle occupants about the importance of buckling up, every ride,” he said.
Poedubicky added that this year’s campaign will also focus on rear seat passengers, as well as nighttime enforcement. During evening hours seat belt usage is traditionally lower and the percentage of unbelted fatalities is higher.
During the 2014 “Click it or Ticket” campaign, 374 police agencies participated in the two-week initiative. As a result of the effort, law enforcement officers issued 26,635 seat belt citations, 4,363 speeding summonses and made 944 drunk driving arrests.