'Click It or Ticket' Nets 4,733 Occupant Protection Charges
11 September 2000
'Click It or Ticket' Nets 4,733 Occupant Protection Charges From Aug. 28 - Sept. 3; Stormy Weather Doesn't Deter Officers From Conducting Checkpoints and Patrols RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 8 Despite the inclement weather that
remained in the state for more than a week, North Carolina law enforcement
officers still managed to get out in their communities to step-up enforcement
of the state's seat belt and child passenger safety laws in support of the
fall 2000 "Click It or Ticket" campaign.
From Aug. 28-Sept. 3, officers statewide conducted 819 law enforcement
activities in support of North Carolina's seat belt and child passenger safety
campaign, which was launched with a statewide kickoff event on Aug. 28 in
Raleigh.
During the last "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which ran from May 15 -
June 4, the Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) asked law enforcement
statewide to conduct 2,000 checkpoints and random patrols on behalf of the
occupant protection initiative. Because of their overwhelming support, they
were asked to step up to the challenge again.
"During the last campaign, law enforcement responded to our '2,000 in
2000' challenge by conducting 3,669 checkpoints and random patrols and writing
more than 22,000 occupant protection violations," said GHSP Director Joe
Parker. "This fall, we issued the same challenge and they are stepping up yet
again. Even with all the rain lately, law enforcement have still been out
there in full force, and we are on target to surpass the 2,000 mark again."
The numbers were reported by law enforcement agencies in each county and
compiled by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. During the first week of
the current campaign, officers wrote 4,331 seat belt tickets and 402 child
passenger safety violations.
Besides cracking down on seat belt and child passenger safety violators,
officers last week charged 765 with driving while impaired (DWI). They
discovered a total of 21,185 violations, including 238 drug charges, 14 stolen
vehicles, and one fugitive from justice. The campaign continues through Sept.
17.
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. Beginning December 1, anyone who fails
to adhere to this law will face two points on his or her driver's license.
Statewide Totals
DWI Occupant Restraint Traffic Violations
Driving Child
While Passenger Total
Total Impaired Seat Belt Safety Traffic
Checkpoints Violations Violations Violations Speeding Violations
and Patrols
819 765 4,331 402 6,665 20,189
(Aug. 28-Sept. 3)
Criminal Violations
Other
Misdemeanor Felony Stolen Criminal
Drug Drug Firearm Vehicles Fugitives Violations
Violations Violations Violations Recovered Arrested Not Listed
189 49 10 14 1 748
Total
Total Traffic &
Criminal Criminal
Violations Violations
996 21,185
For county-by-county "Click It or Ticket" numbers, contact Jill Warren
Lucas or Erica Hinton at the GHSP, 919-733-3083. Inquiries also may be made
via e-mail to the addresses above. For more information about "Click It or
Ticket" or other North Carolina highway safety issues,
visit our web site at: http://www.dot.state.nc.us/services/ghsp/ .
