SEAT BELT ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING

More than 30,000 people died in traffic crashes during 2009. And many could have been saved if they had been wearing a seat belt. In an effort to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roadways, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with the Florida Highway Patrol and local police departments in the annual “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign. The two-week operation kicked off on Monday and will continue through the Memorial Day holiday weekend before concluding on June 5.

The enforcement operation’s message to motorists is clear: buckle up or pay up, because there will be no exceptions. The aim is to improve the safety of the motoring public through heightened awareness and intensive enforcement based on zero tolerance for safety belt violations. The ultimate goal is to save lives. Worn correctly, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent for front-seat passengers and by 60 percent for passengers riding in pickup trucks, SUVs and vans. Additionally, motorists are 75 percent less likely to die in a rollover crash if they’re buckled up. “We’re hoping the public will get the message and voluntarily comply with the seat belt law in even greater numbers,” said Sheriff Ben Johnson. “The goal of the enforcement campaign is to improve safety, not to write a bunch of tickets. But if that’s what it takes to get compliance and save lives, that’s what our deputies are going to do.”