Click it or ticket press release:
In our continuing effort to save lives, the City of Fitchburg Police department, in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPSS) Highway Safety Division (HSD), is launching a high-visibility seat belt enforcement mobilization called Click It or Ticket. The message is simple: Massachusetts drivers and passengers should always wear their seat belts or be prepared to face the consequences.
During the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization, which runs from May 14th through June 3rd, extra state and local police will patrol the city’s streets in a concerted effort to promote and enforce seat belt use with the ultimate goal of saving lives.
The City of Fitchburg Police Department has adopted zero-tolerance policies for seat belt violations signaling the increasing importance of seat belt use. In fact, if pulled over, everyone in the car found not wearing a seat belt will be ticketed.
“Injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes cost taxpayers and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars every year,” said Traffic Specialist Paul McNamara. “We can help reduce those costs by making sure people buckle up, every trip, every time.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), based on known usage, 49 percent of the people killed in passenger motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts during 2010 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.
“While it may just sound like a statistic, my colleagues and I know from personal experience that those numbers represent the actual faces of mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends right here in Fitchburg,” said McNamara. “We’ve told too many families about losses that may have been prevented had a loved one only worn a seat belt.”
“A lot of people shrug off the statistics because they see themselves as good drivers,” said McNamara, “but they forget that they can get hurt because of other reckless drivers. Your best defense is to buckle up.”
Seat belt use can be the difference between life and death. It is the best defense in a crash. Remember to Buckle Up, Every Trip, Every Time.
For more information, please visit www.FitchburgPolice.com.
