PennDOT: Click It or Ticket Seatbelt Message to be Displayed on Trucks; Mobile Safety Campaign Will Help Spread Safety Message

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 9, 2005 -- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) are teaming up for safety with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Mid-Atlantic region, Buckle Up PA, the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA), the Pennsylvania Division of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and nearly 30 trucking companies across the Commonwealth who will be placing Click It or Ticket decals on the backs of their trailers.

"We are delighted to be teaming up with the trucking community as well as other dedicated highway safety partners to take part in this 'rolling safety campaign' that will help spread the message about the importance of buckling up," said PennDOT's Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration, Gary L. Hoffman, P.E.

The Click It or Ticket campaign started in Pennsylvania in 2002 to remind motorists that if they are cited for a moving violation and are not buckled up, they may receive a second ticket for not wearing a seatbelt.

According to PennDOT, Pennsylvania's current seatbelt use rate is 82 percent, the highest ever recorded in the state. However, in 2003, 623 people who lost their lives in traffic crashes in Pennsylvania were not wearing their seatbelts.

Deputy Secretary Hoffman noted that, although more people are buckling up in Pennsylvania, those individuals who refuse to abide by Pennsylvania's seat belt law are far more likely to lose their lives in a highway crash.

PennDOT urges all motorists to always drive with caution, refuse to drink and drive and always buckle up.

The Click It or Ticket decals on trucks are one part of an enforcement and education initiative planned for the month of May to help increase seat belt use statewide.