Drivers and passengers should always buckle their seat belts for safety reasons, but in late May and early June they will have extra incentive to do so: the Cranford Police Department will take part in the Click It or Ticket initiative between May 24 and June 6.
The police department will have a series of high-visibility checkpoints and will have a zero-tolerance policy to violators: anyone in a vehicle not wearing a seatbelt, whether driver, passenger or in the back seat, gets a $20 ticket. A law passed in January 2010 requires passengers in the back seat to be buckled, but only about 32% of back seat passengers adhere to the law.
"High visibility enforcement saves lives," said Cranford Police Chief Eric G. Mason in a press release. "Our goal is to make sure that all motor vehicle occupants are wearing their seat belts."
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Click It or Ticket is a nationwide initiative under the purview of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It has helped raise the national seat belt usage rate to 83%. New Jersey has a significantly higher rate, at 92.67%. Cranford is one of many New Jersey towns that received a $4,000 grant to help defray the costs associated with Click It or Ticket.
The extra officers on the roads net more tangible benefits than just seat belt fines. During last year's campaign, Cranford issued 294 citations or arrests, of which 91 were seat belt-related. Other violations included DWIs, felony arrests and fugitive apprehension.
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Besides avoiding a ticket, Chief Mason says that wearing a seatbelt just makes good sense and may save an accident victim's life.
"Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a motorist and his or her passengers to protect themselves when on the road," he said. "Motor vehicle occupants who buckle up are between 45 and 75 percent less likely to face life threatening injuries in a car crash."
