Buckle up in NC!
25 May 2000
'Click It or Ticket' Nets 7,637 Occupant Protection Charges From May 15-21Officers Statewide Respond to '2,000 in 2000' Challenge With Record-setting
Number of Activities
RALEIGH, N.C., May 24 North Carolina law enforcement
officers shattered records this week by conducting more checkpoints and random
patrols in a single week since the "Click It or Ticket" campaign began in
1993.
Between May 15-23, officers statewide conducted 1,168 law enforcement
activities in support of North Carolina's seat belt and child passenger safety
campaign, which was launched with a statewide kickoff event May 15 in
Charlotte. During the last campaign, which ran three weeks in the fall of
1999, a total of 1,272 checkpoints and random patrols were held.
"We asked law enforcement officers to help us conduct 2,000 activities for
the first campaign of 2000," said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's
Highway Safety Program. "We weren't sure it was realistic at the time, but
officers actually pledged to conduct more than 3,000 activities.
"They all recognize the need to enforce our highway safety laws to reduce
crash-related deaths and injuries," Parker continued. "Make no mistake: If
you don't click it in North Carolina, you will get a ticket."
The numbers were reported by law enforcement agencies in each county and
compiled by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. During the first week of
the current campaign, officers wrote 7,171 seat belt tickets and 466 child
passenger safety violations. In Wake County alone, 1,396 seat belt and
26 child passenger safety tickets were written.
Besides cracking down on seat belt and child passenger safety violators,
officers last week charged 758 with driving while impaired (DWI). They
discovered a total of 23,465 violations, including 235 drug charges, 19 stolen
vehicles, and 13 fugitives from justice. The campaign continues through
June 4.
The goal of "Click It or Ticket" is to boost seat belt use in North
Carolina, saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing the massive health-
care costs associated with traffic crashes. In addition to ticketing
unbuckled drivers, officers are paying particular attention to unrestrained
children. All children up to age 16 must be buckled up no matter where they
ride in the vehicle. Children under age 5 and weighing less than 40 pounds
must ride in a child passenger safety seat -- in the back seat, if the vehicle
has an active passenger-side airbag. Safety experts recommend that all
children up to age 12 ride in the back seat, which is the safest place to
travel.
Concerned North Carolina motorists may report unrestrained children to the
toll-free "Please Be Seated" hotline, which is funded by the GHSP and operated
by the Department of Insurance. A letter is sent to the registered vehicle
owner explaining the state's child passenger safety laws and encouraging
compliance. For information, or to report an unbuckled child, call the
hotline at 877-363-2405. (Note: This week, the national Buckle Up America
campaign is sponsoring a similar hotline that will operate in all 50 states.
Calls from North Carolina will be referred back to the established "Please Be
Seated" program.)
Statewide Totals
DWI Occupant Restraint Traffic Violations
Driving Child
While Safety Total
Total Impaired Seat Belt Seat Traffic
Checkpoints Violations Violations Violations Speeding Violations
1,168 758 7,171 466 6,090 22,654
(5/15-23)
Criminal Violations
Other
Misdemeanor Felony Stolen Criminal
Drug Drug Firearm Vehicles Fugitives Violations
Violations Violations Violations Recovered Arrested Not Listed
187 48 24 19 13 519
Total
Total Traffic &
Criminal Criminal
Violations Violations
811 23,465
For county-by-county "Click It or Ticket" numbers, contact Jill Warren
Lucas or Erica Hinton at the GHSP, 919-733-3083. Inquiries also may be made
via E-mail to the addresses above. For more information about "Click It or
Ticket" or other North Carolina highway safety issues, visit our web site at:
http://www.dot.state.nc.us/services/ghsp .