‘Click It or Ticket’ seatbelt enforcement will be next 2 weeks
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with law enforcement throughout the state, will be increasing checks for seat belt use in the “Click It or Ticket Campaign.” That started on Monday and continues through Nov. 29.
The statewide enforcement campaign is designed to save lives and reduce the severity of injuries by increasing safety restraint use. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee has set a strategic goal to increase the observed seat belt use rate and to decrease unrestrained occupant fatalities in passenger vehicles.
The strategies identified for accomplishing these goals include high visibility enforcement, public information and education.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he supports the 21st annual “Buckle Up New York, Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign. During last year’s enforcement campaign, police issued 26,432 tickets for seat belt and child restraint violations.
“Wearing your seat belt isn’t only the law, but it’s the smartest choice you can make to help prevent a needless tragedy,” Governor Cuomo said. “New York has been a national leader on this issue ever since my father helped institute the country’s first seat belt law, and while we’ve made a great deal of progress over the years, we still see instances where they are not being used. There is no debate – seat belts save lives and we will continue to raise awareness on this undisputable fact to help ensure all those who travel on New York’s roadways do so safely.”
In August, Cuomo signed legislation that strengthens the state’s seat belt laws. As of Nov. 1, everyone in passenger vehicles, regardless of where they sit, needs to wear a seat belt or be properly restrained in a child safety seat. In New York, police can lawfully ticket motorists for not wearing a seat belt even if they are not committing any other traffic infractions.
