Crime & Safety

'Click It or Ticket' Campaign Begins Today in Stratford

From Dec. 3 to Dec. 16, Stratford motorists can expect to receive tickets, not warnings, if officers find them out on the roads unbuckled, according to this press release from the police department.

Stratford Police Department Joins Click It or Ticket

To Crack Down on Seat Belt Use -- Especially at Night

Seat belts save lives! Yet, too many motorists -- especially those at night -- are not getting the message.

Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That's why the Stratford Police Department will join with thousands of other law enforcement officers, highway safety officials and safety advocates across the country in support of the 2012 Click It or Ticket mobilization -- a highly visible national enforcement crackdown created to save more lives on our roadways.

During the Dec. 3 to Dec. 16, Click It or Ticket campaign, Stratford motorists can expect to receive tickets, not warnings, if officers find them out on the roads unbuckled -- both day and night.

Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2010 nationally, 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes overnight (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 42 percent during the daytime hours.

Teens and young adults who fail to buckle up are also at an increased risk of dying in a crash.  Sadly, motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death for young Americans, exceeding all crime and disease-related causes.

But the way to protect you and your family is crystal clear. Seat belts provide the best defense against impaired, distracted and aggressive drivers. In fact, wearing your seat belt is the single most effective crash protection available. Yet too many motorists need a reminder. In 2010, 22,187 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle crashes according to NHTSA, and 51 percent of them were NOT wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.

However, a seat belt can't save even one life if it's not used. And that's where enforcement comes into play. High-visibility enforcement campaigns such as the annual Click It or Ticket mobilization are widely credited with increasing the national seat belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to an observed rate of 85 percent in 2010.

We must not stop now. There are thousands more lives yet to be saved.

So don't forget: Seat Belts Save Lives. Spread the word to your family and friends to always buckle up -- both day and night. Not only could you save them the cost of a ticket, you could even save their lives.

Remember: This Dec. 3 to Dec. 16, it's Click It or Ticket.

For more on the national seat belt mobilization, visit Click It or Ticket headquarters at www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.


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