State Police Join 'Click It or Ticket' Effort

Col. Miller Calls for 'Primary' Seat Belt Law in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 23 -- In an effort to encourage more drivers to buckle up, the Pennsylvania State Police is participating in a statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign through June 4.

"Unbuckled fatalities increased from 577 in 2004 to 648 last year," Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller said today. "These are heartbreaking cases because, in many instances, the victims may have survived if they had been properly restrained."

Miller said troopers routinely investigate crashes in which unbuckled drivers and passengers are killed when they are ejected from the vehicle or hit a windshield. Since April 20, troopers have responded to 13 separate crashes that have resulted in the deaths of 14 unbelted drivers or passengers.

During the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, each state police troop will use the PROphecy computer program to identify high-crash areas within its region and then target enforcement efforts to those locations.

As part of the effort, troopers will conduct traffic safety checkpoints to educate the public about traffic laws. Child passenger safety seat checkups will also be held at various locations throughout the commonwealth. The checkups are designed to teach parents the proper installation and use of child safety seats. Similar information is available from local state police stations or by visiting the http://www.psp.state.pa.us/.

"Pennsylvania's seat belt use rate climbed from 82 percent in 2004 to 83.3 percent in 2005," Miller said. "That's good news, but it still means that nearly one-in-five occupants is not properly restrained while traveling."

The commissioner called on the General Assembly to pass a "primary" seat belt law in Pennsylvania, which would permit officers to stop and cite drivers for not wearing their safety belt. Under the state's current "secondary" law, a person can be cited for failure to wear a seat belt only if first stopped and cited for another traffic violation, such as speeding.

"A primary law would increase seat belt usage in Pennsylvania and, as a result, save lives. A tougher seat belt law could also help change the attitudes of younger people. When children riding in a car see that their parents are not wearing seat belts, it makes the children think that seat belts are not important," said Miller.

Miller thanked PennDOT for its support of the statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which includes billboard, television and radio advertising designed to encourage the use of seat belts.