Office of Traffic Safety Announces $5.2 Million in Mini-Grants for Seat Belt Enforcement

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Feb. 23, 2006--The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is awarding 244 law enforcement agencies across the state with mini-grants totaling nearly $5.2 million in federal funds for seat belt enforcement during the 2006 "Click It or Ticket" campaign.

The mini-grants, ranging from $5,000 to $90,000, will help pay for officer overtime to conduct seat belt enforcement operations during the 2006 Click It or Ticket mobilization scheduled May 15, 2006 through June 4, 2006.

"The pain and loss to victims and their families are a tragedy for the people involved in crashes where occupants were not wearing seat belts," said state OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy. "The two seconds it takes to buckle a seat belt not only save lives, but prevent injuries and monetary losses to society."

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, $217 million in societal costs were saved when California's seat belt use rate improved from 90.4 percent in 2004 to 92.5 percent in 2005.

During the 2005 Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign, more than 250 police agencies in California issued approximately 155,000 seat belt citations to motorists and vehicle occupants who were not buckled up during a stepped-up effort that helped boost California's seat belt use rate.

California's goal is to increase seat belt use statewide to 93 percent in 2006 through the combined efforts of the California Highway Patrol, OTS and local law enforcement.

Click It or Ticket will be held in connection with the national Buckle Up America/Operation ABC National Mobilization.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 481 vehicle occupants in California who died in traffic crashes during 2004 would be alive today had they simply worn a seat belt.

California Seat Belt Facts

-- California 2005 seat belt use rate: 92.5 percent is the 7th highest in the nation. The national average is only 82 percent.

-- 657,000 more vehicle occupants buckled up in California during 2005 compared to 2004.

-- California 2005 teen seat belt use rate: 88.6 percent (up from 82.6 percent in 2004).

-- California 2005 child safety seat use rate: 86.9 percent.

Editors and assignment desks: For a complete list of all seat belt mini-grants, go to www.ots.ca.gov