“Click it or ticket” campaign begins Monday, November 16

Drivers will be issued summons for no-seat belt
November 13, 2009
by Christine Yeres

In order to encourage all motorists to buckle up, the New Castle Police Department will participate in the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee’s “Click it or Ticket” campaign from November 16 through November 29.

Seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, yet nearly 1 in 5 Americans still fail to regularly wear their seat belts. Statewide, 83 percent of drivers used seat belts in 2007. In 2008, 89 percent used seat belts. The “Buckle Up New York” Campaign is intended to further increase the use rate. Thirty percent of highway deaths in New York State occurred to occupants who were unrestrained. In these cases, failure to use a seat belt was a greater factor than alcohol or excessive speed. And for those who survive a motor vehicle accident, in-patient hospital costs for unbelted crash victims are 50% higher than those for belted victims.

The specific requirements of the seat belt law in New York State

Who must wear safety restraints?

* All front seat occupants regardless of age. The driver is responsible for all front seat passengers under age 16.

* All rear seat passengers under age 16.

* Effective November 24, 2009 all children under the age of 8 must be restrained in an appropriate child restraint system while riding in a motor vehicle.

* An appropriate child restraint system is one that meets the child’s size and weight and the specifications of the manufacturer of such a system.

A press release from the New Castle Police Department ends with the reminder, “Safety belts are NOT an option. They are a way of life, AND it’s the law. The New Castle Police Department thanks you for buckling up!”