The Citrus Heights Police Department has joined forces with a nationwide law enforcement effort to crack down on seat belt violations from May 22 through June 4.
“Our law enforcement personnel see firsthand the loss of life when people refuse to buckle up,” said Citrus Heights Police Chief Ron Lawrence in a news release last week, citing 2015 statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that nearly half of the 22,441 passenger vehicle occupants killed in collisions were not wearing a seat belt. “It’s such a simple thing, and it should be an automatic next step after sitting down in a vehicle.”
Police said officers will be taking “a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.” The cost of an adult seat belt violation in Citrus Heights is $162 — or nearly triple that cost if the violation involves a child not being restrained in a vehicle.
“Please, help us spread this life-saving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction,” said Chief Lawrence. “Seat belts save lives, and everyone needs to remember to buckle up, every trip, every time.”
Lawrence said he would consider the two-week campaign a success if it “wakes up the hundreds of thousands of Californians who still don’t heed the dangers of unrestrained driving and gets them to buckle up.”
According to NHTSA statistics, seat belt use nationwide is about 90 percent, with 10 percent of vehicle occupants opting to ride without a seat belt.
Funding for the seat belt enforcement campaign is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
