The following press release was issued by the Rochester Police Department:
In our continuing effort to save lives, the Rochester Police Department, in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPSS) Highway Safety Division (HSD), the State Police and over 120 other local departments, is launching a high-visibility seat belt enforcement mobilization called Click It or Ticket.
The message is simple: Massachusetts drivers and passengers should always wear their seat belts or be prepared to face the consequences.
During the “Click it or Ticket” mobilization, which runs from May 14 through June 3, thousands of extra state and local police will patrol the state’s streets and highways in a concerted effort to promote and enforce seat belt use with the ultimate goal of saving lives.
Many departments across the state have adopted zero-tolerance policies for seat belt violations signaling the increasing importance of seal belt use. In fact, if pulled over, everyone in the car found not wearing a seat belt will be ticketed.
“Too many people still have reckless attitudes expecting that crashes will never happen to them,” said Rochester Police Chief Paul H. Magee. “Unfortunately these tragedies can and do happen every day. The best protection against death or injury is a seat belt.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), based on known usage, 49 percent of the people killed in passenger motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts during 2010 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.
“A lot of people shrug off the statistics because they see themselves as good drivers,” said Chief Magee. “But they forget that they can get hurt because of other reckless drivers. Your best defense is to buckle up.”
Seat belt use can be the difference between life and death. It is the best defense in a crash. Remember to Buckle Up, Every Trip, Every Time.
