Safety belts count

By Sun Advocate

Editor:
From May 19 to June 1, law enforcement officers from over 12,000 enforcement agencies across the United States will be sending a simple message to motorists – if you are not wearing a safety belt, you will be ticketed. Together, state and local law enforcement will place special emphasis on state roadways around the 2003 Memorial Day weekend. The goal of the safety belt campaign is to send a message that safety belts and car seats save lives.
This crackdown on safety belt violations sounds like a tough approach. But consider these facts. Failure to buckle up contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety related behavior. Nearly half of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes last year weren’t using seat belts or secured in child safety seats.
Over the years, highway safety professionals and law enforcement have used a number of public service campaigns to draw attention to the seriousness of highway fatalities and persuade people to buckle up. We want to make sure everyone is aware of this campaign and its consequences, and we want people to take it seriously.
These safety belt campaigns will be conducted in a fair and open manner. All enforcement agencies will ensure that no segment of the population is targeted unfairly in this enforcement effort. The goal is to save lives, not single out individuals or groups.
Law enforcement is commended for the preparation and effort they are putting into this campaign. But law enforcement can’t do it alone. All citizens must make buckling up their number one priority. So make sure you do your part. Buckle Up America – Every trip, every time.