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The Santa Monica Police Department will be
aggressively enforcing the state’s occupant
protection laws as part of California’s 2008
Click It or Ticket mobilization,
taking place May 12-June 1. The campaign
relies on heavy enforcement and public
education as a means to help California
achieve the highest seat belt use rate in
the nation. California currently has the
nation’s fourth highest seat belt use rate
at 94.6 percent.
“We want to make sure that all drivers and
passengers buckle up on every ride, day and
night,” said Police Chief Timothy Jackman.
“Our officers will be on the lookout for
those who are not buckled up and for teens
and children not riding properly restrained.
We will not accept excuses or give
warnings. It’s Click It or Ticket.”
California has a primary seat belt law which
requires that every passenger in the car,
including the driver, is required to wear a
seat belt at all times. If stopped and
found to be in violation, law enforcement
will issue citations without warning.
Tickets for first seat belt violations range
from $80 to $91 for adults and $330 to $401
for children under age 16, depending on the
county. Additionally, children age 12 and
under are required to ride properly
restrained in the back seat.
“We’re doing well with nearly 95 percent
buckling up, fourth highest in the nation,”
said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the
California Office of Traffic Safety.
“That’s 1.5 million more people protected
from death and injury by using seatbelts
since the Click It or Ticket campaign
started in 2005. But we can do better yet.
I urge everyone to always buckle up.”
While the buckle up rate for adults has
continued to climb in recent years,
California’s teen seat belt use rate lags
behind the general population. In 2007,
California’s teen seat belt use rate was
88.9 percent, well below the state rate of
94.6 percent for the same year.
More than 280 law enforcement agencies
statewide will be participating in this
year’s Click It or Ticket
mobilization. Additionally, agencies are
encouraged to conduct nighttime patrols in
an effort to boost compliance at night.
Funding for officer overtime to support
California’s Click It or Ticket
campaign was provided by a grant from the
California Office of Traffic Safety through
the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
For further information, please contact Sgt.
Larry Horn of the Santa Monica Police
Department’s Traffic Services Division at
(310) 458-8950. |
