Nobody wants to see a loved one hurt in a tragic accident or, worse yet, to lose a loved one to a traffic fatality. That’s why the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is asking everyone to be safe through the use of seat belts in the upcoming holiday season.
If you routinely thumb your nose at the state law requiring you to buckle your seat belt, you might want to keep an exceptionally watchful eye on your surroundings beginning next Monday, because, authorities will be keeping an exceptionally watchful eye for scofflaws like you who ignore the rules of the road.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches and more drivers hit the roads, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office is reminding everyone of the importance of seat belt use.
As a result, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office will be taking part in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national “Click it or Ticket” high-visibility enforcement campaign, which runs from next Monday, November 9th, 2020 thru November 29th, 2020.
The campaign is aimed at enforcing seat belt use to help keep people safe, the national campaign runs concurrent with the busy travel season.
Sheriff Paul Bailey says, “During the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, we will be working with fellow law enforcement officers across the United States and the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning to ensure the seat belt safety message gets out to all drivers and passengers.” Bailey adds, “Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life and devastating injuries that could have been prevented with the simple task of clicking a seat belt. That’s why buckling up is more than just a good idea – it’s the law.”
In Michigan, the seat belt usage rate stands at 94.4-percent and the national seat belt use rate in 2019 was 90.7-percent, which is good, but Bailey says, “We can do better.”
Among young adults 18 to 34 years of age killed in crashes in 2018, 58-percent were completely unrestrained.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, in 2018 there were 9,778 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States.
Last year, during the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday weekend there were seven fatalities on Michigan roads. Four of the seven deaths involved drivers or passengers not wearing seat belts.
Statistics show that three out of four people ejected from a vehicle in a crash will die according to Bailey, who adds, “Wearing a seat belt is the easiest and best decision you will ever make. Remember to buckle up every trip, every time.”
While the “Click it or Ticket” campaign is about awareness and education, Law Enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuse approach to seat belt enforcement and will be issuing citations.
Michigan law requires drivers, front seat passengers, and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. The fine and associated costs for not wearing a seat belt is $65. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4’9” tall, and children under 4 years of age must be in the back seat.
The Office of Highway Safety Planning coordinates the “Click It or Ticket” effort, which is supported by federal traffic safety funds.
