National Seat Belt Campaign Starts Today; police will be making more stops, writing more tickets

[Purveyor]

(AXcess News) Houston - Police nationwide are enforcing seat belt laws more strongly than ever before starting today as police departments nationwide launch National Seat Belt day, a national "Click it or Ticket" campaign that ends June 3rd.

Buckling up is the single-most effective way to prevent highway fatalities, law enforcement officials say.

Seat belts save an estimated 9,500 lives in America each year, national statistics indicate.

It's part of a push from coast-to-coast to get drivers to buckle up and to make sure that children are properly and safely secured.

Federal officials say police will be making more traffic stops and writing more tickets.

The program will target late-night motorists.

---EOE---

http://www.axcessnews.com/index.php/articles/show/id/11054

[Demeter]

1. I Hate This Program!!! It's Up There With the Patriot Act

and taking shoes off in airports. Speed kills, distraction kills, sleepy truck drivers and overloaded trucks kill. Drunken Driving kills. A seatbelt is as much use as a fart in those circumstances.

[Deja Q]

2. Another DUer posted the US is selling off its highways...

So wouldn't the owners (such as Spain, apparently) deserve the fees too? :rofl:

[High Plains]

3. Don't some states forbid police from pulling you over for seat belt violations?

I see this as an opportunity for police to go on more fishing expedition vehicle searches.

"You won't mind if I have a little lock around the vehicle, will you, ma'am?" asks the officer.

Learn how to protect your Fourth Amendment rights. www.flexyourrights.org has lots of info.

[TahitiNut]

5. Depends on whether it's a "primary" or "secondary" offense in the state.

The police can stop you and ticket for not wearing one if it's a primary ("standard") offense, but can only ticket you for not wearing one after stopping you for some other offense (like speeding) it's a secondary offense.

In Michigan, it's a primary offense. As of January 2007, 25 states and the District of Columbia have primary seatbelt laws, 24 have secondary seatbelt laws, and one state (New Hampshire) has no laws.

http://www.iihs.org/laws/state_laws/restrain3.html

[tyedyeto]

4. Was the driver of NJ Gov on his way to Rutgers ticketed...

after the accident? Who will be given these tickets? Does * 'click-it' when he's being driven around? How about Senators or Representatives who have a driver? Are they wearing seat belts?

I am a fanatic about seat belts since the late 70's when I had a chauffeurs license. I buckle up the moment I sit in my vehicle. But I wonder how many 'mucky-mucks' ignore this law.

Another pet peeve.... why don't buses have seat belts for passengers?

[Raine]

6. Here in Ca this has been done

for years.

[musette_sf]

7. here in CA they are acting like it is a whole new thang!

the "Amber Alert" signs (used for Amber Alerts and SNAFU traffic) everywhere i go has the obnoxious motto "Click It Or Ticket". BIG ad campaign on radio too.

at least this is the case in NoCal.

[jazzjunkysue]

8. I got away with it today: Na, na na na na.

That's my entirely childish response to this waste of time program.

I've called the cops a couple of times to alert them to drunk and/or blind drivers going the wrong way in the wrong lane, and other dangerous offences, and they've never bothered to show up.

So this pisses me off. When I tell them someone is going to get killed by a dangerous driver, they do nothing.

I almost want to rebel just for the satisfaction.