Seat belt violations cost $91 for first time offenders and
nearly $200 for a second offense
n Staff Report
Gilroy – Santa Clara County Sheriff deputies, Gilroy police and more than 12,000 other state and local law enforcement and highway safety officials will be on the lookout for individuals not wearing safety belts during a special enforcement period this Memorial Day weekend.
As part of the state’s “Click it or Ticket” campaign, starting in late May deputies will be making it a priority to issue tickets to those who fail to comply. The special enforcement period lasts until June 4.
Failure to regularly wear a safety belt can be deadly. According to the NHTSA, 31,693 passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes during 2004 and 55 percent of those killed were not wearing their safety belts.
In 2005, the observed safety belt use rate in pickup trucks was only 73 percent compared to 83 percent in passenger cars and 85 percent in vans and SUV’s.
“What does it take to convince people to buckle up?” asked Santa Clara County Sheriff Sgt. Carl Neusel. “Taking a few seconds to buckle a seat belt is the most effective thing a person can do to save their life.”
But if that isn’t enough motivation, there is a financial incentive.
Seat belt violations cost $91 for first time offenders and nearly $200 for a second offense. Passengers older than 16 can be cited for not wearing their seat belts, too.
Nearly one in five Americans – 18 percent nationally – still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle, according to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Among those least likely to buckle up: young males, pick up truck drivers and their passengers, people who live in rural areas, and nighttime drivers.
Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. When worn correctly, safety belts have been proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUV’s and minivans.
Safety belt checkpoint and other stepped-up law enforcement activities will be conducted during the national “Click It or Ticket” enforcement mobilization, which runs May 22 through June 4.
