State and local law enforcement agencies have once again kicked off the statewide “Click It or Ticket” campaign, reminding motorists of safety on the highways during this holiday weekend.
The annual Memorial Day Click It or Ticket campaign takes place through June 2, concurrent with one of the busiest holiday travel weekends of the year. Law enforcement across the state will be citing motorists who are not properly belted.
Locally, the Clinton Police Department, as well as Highway Patrol officers, are asking citizens to ensure maximum safety by wearing a seat belt to help prevent injuries when involved in an accident.
“We are participating in the campaign for the holiday weekend because of the volume of traffic and the increased likelihood of accidents,” Clinton Police chief Don Edwards said. “However, we want to encourage everyone, at all times, to wear their seats belts and properly use child safety restraints.”
According to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, North Carolina has approximately 7.8 million licensed motorists and 9.7 million registered vehicles. Last year alone, according to the Department of Insurance, traffic fatalities and serious injuries reaped over $4 billion in insurance claims.
“Just following the law and wearing your seat belt in every seat, every time, improves personal safety, keeps our communities intact and even improves our economy,” Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell stated in a press release.
According to state law, all drivers, front seat passengers and back seat passengers ages 16 and older must wear their seat belts. The driver of a vehicle is responsible for themselves and passengers under the age of 16, who additionally are required to wear seat belts or proper safety restraints.
In an effort to stress the importance of back seat passengers buckling up, the DOT estimates that people not wearing a seat belt in either the front or back seat of a vehicle are 30 times more likely to be ejected during a crash. According to the DOT, another sobering statistic estimates that in fatal crashes, more than three out of four people who are ejected die from their injuries.
Additional facts provided by the NCDOT indicate that unbelted backseat riders become human torpedoes in a collision and a threat to the safety of front seat occupants even if they are wearing their seat belts; unbelted occupants are nearly two times as likely to die in a collision than those wearing seat belts; and when crashes happen 52 percent of unbelted backseat riders are killed.
“As the summer months begin, I would encourage motorists to allow more time for traveling, because there are going to be more people on the roads and it will take more time,” Edwards said. “Motorists need buckle up, don’t drink and drive, increase their following distance and use the proper restraints.”
North Carolina law requires all passengers in a vehicle to be properly restrained or receive a traffic violation, which is punishable by fines of up to $179. Children younger than 8 years must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they’re taller than 4 feet 9 inches. If they aren’t properly restrained, the driver faces fines up to $250 plus court costs.