Full Notification

Buckle up; every ride, every time! Seat belt use saves lives and reduces injury. From May 23^rd to June 5^th, Berkeley Police officers are participating in the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign, in an effort to save lives by increasing seat belt usage. The Department is joining the national effort to improve safety on our roads, as this educational enforcement period comes ahead of the Memorial Day holiday—one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

According to research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 50% of the people in fatal crashes were not restrained—in some states the rate is as high as 70%.  In California, more than a half million people travel our roadways without proper restraints. These facts highlight the need for increased education, awareness, enforcement, and awareness about seat belt use.

This year, NHTSA is increasing their life savings efforts even more by coordinating a “Coast to Coast” seat belt campaign—pairing efforts by the California Highway Patrol with local law enforcement agencies throughout all 50 states.

In 2014, nearly half of the 21,022 vehicle occupants killed in crashes were unrestrained, according to NHTSA. During the nighttime hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., that number increased to 57% of those killed. As part of this effort, officers will issue citations day and night, with a zero-tolerance approach.

“Hundreds of thousands of citizens will be traveling this Memorial Day weekend, as well as throughout the summer vacation season. We want to make sure that people are buckling up to keep themselves and their families safe. It is the greatest defense in a vehicle crash,” said Rhonda Craft, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket campaign, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.                     

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