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Hazelwood Police Steps Up City’s 24-Hour ‘Click or Ticket’ Campaign
The Hazelwood Police Department will be joining other statewide and national law enforcement agencies between May 24 and June 6 for an aggressive “Click It or Ticket” mobilization campaign to crack down on local safety belt law violators in order to reduce road fatalities.
Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Seven out of ten Missourians killed in traffic accidents are found with the seat belts unbuckled.
“Every day, someone dies in a crash in Missouri because they were not buckled up,” said Chief Carl Wolf of the Hazelwood Police Department. “We’ll be out there around the clock to remind local drivers that seat belts can – and do – save lives.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), adherence to seat belt enforcement laws still seems to be lagging among drivers across the nation. In 2008, 12,671 passenger vehicle occupants died in motor vehicle crashes nationwide between the nighttime hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those who died were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crashes, compared to less than half (45%) of the passenger vehicle occupants killed during the same time frame, that were wearing seat belts.
“Nighttime drivers and vehicle passengers continue to be among those least likely to wear seat belts. Consequently, they are also among those most likely to die in motor vehicle crashes. That’s why the Hazelwood Police Department is supporting enhanced nighttime enforcement of seat belt laws during the May 24-June 6, Click It or Ticket campaign,” noted Chief Wolf.
Other NHTSA statistics reveal that 70 percent of passenger vehicle occupants, between the ages of 13-18, killed in motorized vehicle crashes were not buckled in 2008. This is the highest percentage of any age group. Among passenger vehicle occupants, ages 25-34, who were killed in crashes the same year, 66 percent of them were not buckled up which is the second highest percentage of any age group. In addition, men are found to be less likely than women to buckle up. In 2008, 66 percent of male drivers and 74 percent of male passengers, ages 18-34, killed in traffic accidents were not wearing their seat belts.
“Local motorists should be prepared for stepped up Click It or Ticket activities that will occur around the clock. If law enforcement finds you on the road unbuckled anytime or anywhere within the City of Hazelwood limits, you can expect to get a ticket – not a warning. No excuses or exceptions,” added Chief Wolf.
Even though people should wear seat belts during the Click It or Ticket campaign, scheduled from May 24 to June 6, this should become a year-round safety habit. Buckle up and encourage your loved ones to do the same. Local motorists will save the cost of a ticket and maybe even save a life.
For more information on the Hazelwood Police Department’s involvement in the Click It or Ticket mobilization campaign, contact Sgt. Timothy Burger, Special Operations Group and Traffic Management Team, at (314) 513-5228.
