By Allen Riley, Madison County Sheriff
(Madison County, NY – May 2015) If there is one thing I could urge all motorists—drivers, passengers, front seat, back seat, all ages—to do every time you get in a vehicle, it’s buckle up. It is the single most effective way to avoid being killed in a crash.
Would you ever ride a roller coaster without the harness down? Would you ever skydive without a parachute? When you ride in a motor vehicle without a seat belt, you are taking a huge risk. One you can’t afford.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2013, there were 9,580 unbelted vehicle occupants killed in crashes on our nation’s roads.
This May 18 to 31 the Madison County Sheriff’s Office is joining NHTSA and law enforcement agencies nationwide for the 2015 Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization. We will be out in full force, cracking down on seat belt violations, issuing citations to anyone caught traveling without a buckled seat belt or transporting unrestrained children. We are determined to get the message across: Seat belts save lives. In fact, from 2008 to 2012, they saved nearly 63,000 lives. And in 2012, an additional 3,031 lives could have been saved if all unrestrained occupants involved in fatal crashes had worn their seat belts.
We’ve found in the past that May is a very effective time to ramp up seat belt enforcement efforts. Many motorists travel over Memorial Day weekend, which kicks off the busy summer travel season. It’s the perfect time to remind everyone why seat belt use is required by law. And we want people to know: we’re not cracking down to write tickets. We’re doing it to save lives.
In addition to increased patrols and zero-tolerance enforcement, we really want to get the right information out to motorists. There are too many false notions out there about seat belts. Young adults in particular seem to think they are invincible in vehicles. Unfortunately, they are dying at a disproportionate rate because they are not wearing their seat belts. Almost twice as many men are dying in vehicle crashes compared to women, and wearing their seat belts less than women. Pickup truck occupants think that they don’t need to wear their seat belts because they believe their large vehicles will protect them in a crash. The numbers from NHTSA tell the truth: 63 percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed in crashes were not buckled up. That’s compared to 43 percent of passenger car occupants who were killed while not wearing their seat belts.
During the Click It or Ticket enforcement period, an important part of our safety messaging to motorists includes the words “day and night” – and for good reason. In 2013, about 59 percent of passenger vehicle occupants were killed during the nighttime hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. who were not wearing their seat belts. More people are being killed in nighttime crashes than ever before, and we are going to be targeting nighttime seat belt violators as a result.
State law requires that all passengers in the front seat of a motor vehicle must wear a seat belt. All children under the age of sixteen (16) must wear a seatbelt while in the back seat. Children from birth to age eight (8) are required to ride in an appropriate child restraint system, and for those children riding in recreation vehicles, motor homes and campers if they are equipped with seat belts.
If found unbuckled, drivers and front seat passengers over the age of 16 could face fines of up to $50. Drivers will also face fines of up to $100 for each passenger under the age of 16 who is not properly restrained in their vehicles and will also receive three violation points on his or her driving record.
Next time you head out on the road, make sure you and everyone in your vehicle are buckled up, regardless of age and seating position. The law has been responsible for saving hundreds of lives destination safely. Since it’s our job to help protect Madison County motorists, we’re taking Click It or Ticket seriously. Consider yourself warned: If police catch you not wearing your seat belt on the road, you will get a ticket. No excuses, no warnings and no exceptions. We’re hoping you’ll get the message and buckle up every trip, every time, even after the crackdown period is over. Wearing your seat belt is required by law 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.