Cocoa Police Participate In Annual ‘Click it or Ticket’ Safety Campaign
By Space Coast Daily // May 26, 2017
2015: 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night did not wear seatbelts
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BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Cocoa Patrol officers will be actively enforcing the state’s seatbelt laws during the annual statewide “Click It or Ticket” safety campaign which began May 22 and will continue through June 4.
This is due to increased numbers of travelers on the roads which leads to more dangerous conditions and increases the potential for crashes to occur.
During these conditions it is more important than ever that everyone is buckled up.
To make sure the message reaches all Cocoa area drivers and passengers, the Cocoa Police Department will be joining other state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) high-visibility seat belt enforcement campaign Click It or Ticket.
“Our goal is to educate, gain compliance and promote safety,” said Chief Mike Cantaloupe.
“More than half of the vehicle occupants killed in crashes are not wearing their seat belts. And unfortunately during this busy time on our highways we see too many serious injuries and even deaths that could have been prevented just by wearing a seatbelt.”
According to the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly half (48%) of the 22,441 occupants killed in crashes in 2015 (the latest year data is available) were unbuckled.
In addition, 57 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were not wearing their seat belts, compared to 40 percent killed during the daytime. Men continue to outnumber women in not wearing seat belts – 52 percent to 42 percent respectively.
In Florida failure to wear a seatbelt while traveling in a vehicle is considered a primary traffic offense punishable by a $119 fine.
A primary traffic offense means if a police officer sees that the occupants of a vehicle are not wearing a seatbelt there is probable cause to stop the driver.
The fine for not properly securing a child in a proper safety seat is $169.
“Whether you’re driving to the grocery store, a friend’s house a mile away, or your grandparents’ house across the country please buckle up this Memorial Day and Summer Vacation season and every time you’re on the road.” Chief Cantaloupe added.
“Drivers who fail to heed the warning are taking too big a risk—a hefty fine or worse: dying in a crash.”
