Press Release: Seat Belt Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/19/2011
CONTACT: Captain Michael Gropman
Brookline Police Traffic Division 617-730-2230

The Brookline Police Department Launches Special High Visibility Click It or Ticket Enforcement Blitz

Massachusetts is Getting Tough on All Drivers and Passengers in an Effort to Boost Seat Belt Use and Save Lives

Brookline, MA -As part of a nationwide effort to save lives, the Brookline Police Department, in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's (EOPSS) Highway Safety Division (HSD), the State Police and nearly 190 other local departments, is launching a high-visibility seat belt enforcement blitz called Click It or Ticket. The message is simple: Massachusetts drivers and passengers should always wear their seat belts or be ready to face the consequences.

This special crackdown, beginning May 23 and running through June 5, marks the first seat belt enforcement mobilization across the state this year, designed to increase seat belt use and decrease motor vehicle fatalities and injuries. Over 180 police departments and the State Police have adopted zero-tolerance policies for seat belt violations, signaling the increasing importance of the issue.

"Injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes cost the taxpayers and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars every year," said Captain Michael Gropman. "We can help reduce those costs by making sure people buckle up, every trip, every time. By showing motorists traveling through the Town we mean business, we hope to increase the seatbelt usage rates." A survey last year showed an average of 83% usage rate in the Town of
Brookline.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), based on known usage, 52 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts during 2009 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, three percent higher than the national average.

"A lot of people ignore the statistics because they see themselves as good drivers," said Capt. Gropman, "but they forget that they can get hurt because of other reckless drivers. Your best defense is to obey the law, and buckle up."

That's why the Brookline Police Department applied for a federal grant from EOPSS/HSD along with their national, statewide and local partners to conduct this special Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization. Funded by EOPSS/HSD through a federal grant, stepped-up law enforcement activities will be conducted in late May and early June. So remember, if you are pulled over for violating traffic laws, law enforcement will be checking to make sure drivers and passengers are wearing their seat belts. No more excuses. Click It or Ticket.

For more information, please visit www.mass.gov/highwaysafety.
* According to NHTSA, all numbers and percentages referencing belted or unbelted fatalities are based on "Known Usage."