South Florida Police Departments Launch Enforcement Wave

- Zero Tolerance for Unbuckled Motorists -

MIAMI, May 25 -- The safety belt usage rate in Florida is the highest it has ever been at 76.3 percent, but that still leaves a large portion of Florida motorists risking their lives by riding unbuckled. Miami- area law enforcement agencies are joining law enforcement across the state in an effort to save those who don't buckle up. From May 23 to June 5, the Click It or Ticket campaign will be in full force.

Click It or Ticket, the nationwide safety belt enforcement wave, is being implemented with public awareness events in communities across the state. During this time, state and local law enforcement throughout Florida will show zero tolerance for motorists who fail to use their safety belts.

"This campaign is not about writing tickets, it's about saving lives," said Chief John F. Timoney, City of Miami Police Department, at a press conference held this morning in downtown Miami. "Our officers, however, would much rather write a ticket than notify the family of a person killed in a crash because they failed to wear a safety belt." Chiefs and law enforcement personnel from 10 other police departments and the Florida Highway Patrol joined Chief Timoney in the Click It or Ticket kickoff press conference at the City of Miami Police Department.

Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that drivers and passengers who do not buckle up are approximately 14 times more likely to die in a traffic crash than those who use their safety belt. In addition, a recent medical study showed that Hispanic drivers have lower safety belt usage rates than non-Hispanic whites, with correspondingly higher fatality rates in traffic crashes. Out of all of the holidays last year, the Memorial Day holiday was the deadliest, with the highest recorded fatality rate per hour, even surpassing New Year's and the Fourth of July.

Timoney said the only proven way to get significant increases in safety belt use and ultimately save lives is through high-visibility enforcement, including targeted and intense advertising to alert people to the enforcement.

Public service announcements reminding everyone to buckle up will be airing statewide from May 16 to 29, in the ten major media markets in Florida, which include three of the largest markets in the nation. The combination of safety belt enforcement with television and radio announcements has been shown to increase safety belt usage because of the constant reminder to motorists to "click it, or they will get a ticket."

Agencies throughout Florida are stepping up enforcement of safety belt laws because it's a proven fact that those who do not buckle up account for 60 percent of the vehicle occupants killed on our roadways. Florida joins more than 12,000 law enforcement agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in conducting heightened awareness and enforcement activities as part of this Click It or Ticket effort. Additional information can be found online at http://www.clickitfla.com/ .