Perhaps you’ve already seen parts of this initiative taking place around Havertown, but PennDOT, state and local police are taking part in a nationwide Border-to-Border initiative to “Click it or ticket.” The initiative began May 18 and will run through June 7.
Pennsylvania is one of 16 states, along with Ontario, Canada, to take special action to enforce seat belt laws during this time. Enforcement is being stressed at state borders, as well as during nighttime trips and on roads known to have high unbelted crash rates. Traffic in these areas may move slowly, as officers look out for unbelted drivers and passengers. Those pulled over for not wearing a seat belt will receive a traffic violation.
Click It or Ticket
PennDOT reported that unrestrained fatalities dropped from 425 in 2013 to 383 in 2014. They stated that the statewide number of unbelted crashes had dropped as well. Despite this improvement, officials say there was still a significant number of crashes and deaths where a seat belt would have made all the difference. There is still room for improvement.
As a reminder, Pennsylvania law states that all motorists and passengers both under and over the age of 18 must be wearing a seat belt. In addition, children between the ages of must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat. Kids under the age of four are required to be in a child safety seat. (Did you know that 3 out of 4 car seats are installed wrong?)
We hope you buckle up everyday! But please be sure to pay special attention to your passengers’ seat belts for the next week, otherwise you could end up with a fine.