No. Carolina's 'Click It or Ticket' Scores 7,000+ Tickets
1 June 2000
Big Brother is Alive and Well in NCLaw Enforcement Statewide Surpass 2,000 in 2000 Challenge With Record-Breaking Number of Activities RALEIGH, N.C. - On the heels of a challenge to conduct 2,000 seat belt and child passenger safety activities during the first "Click It or Ticket" campaign of the year, law enforcement across the state have responded overwhelmingly, conducting 2,304 checkpoints and random patrols with one week of the campaign remaining. Between May 22-28, the second week of the campaign, officers statewide conducted 1,136 law enforcement activities in support of North Carolina's seat belt and child passenger safety initiative, which will continue through June 4. As a result of these activities, law enforcement wrote 7,070 seat belt and 577 child passenger safety violations. The numbers were reported by law enforcement agencies in each county and compiled by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. "The response we have received from law enforcement across the state has been outstanding," said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program. "We want to send the message that not buckling up yourself or your child is unacceptable, and I think with these numbers, we are getting our point across." Besides cracking down on seat belt and child passenger safety violators, officers last week charged 857 with driving while impaired (DWI). They discovered a total of 28,032 violations, including 298 drug charges, 21 stolen vehicles, and 8 fugitives from justice. 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. 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 (5/15-21) 1,136 857 7,070 577 7,166 25,333 (5/22-28) Criminal Violations Other Misdemeanor Felony Stolen Criminal Drug Drug Firearm Vehicles Fugitives Violations Violations Violations Violations Recovered Arrested Not Listed 187 48 24 19 13 519 221 77 30 21 8 1,485 Criminal Violations Total Total Traffic & Criminal Criminal Violations Violations 811 23,465 1,842 28,032 For county-by-county "Click It or Ticket" numbers, contact Jill Warren Lucas or Erica Hinton at the GHSP, 919-733-3083.