Fewer citations issued in 35 Michigan counties
Most motorists would rather “click it” than receive a $65 ticket, and they did just that during the annual Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement effort which began May 23 and ended June 5.
Preliminary reports from police agencies indicate 9,013 seat belt and child seat violation tickets were written, nearly 500 less than during last year’s enforcement effort.
Seat belt use in Michigan dipped to 95.2 percent in 2010 after the state enjoyed two years of a record-high use rate of nearly 98 percent. In an effort to improve Michigan’s use rate, five counties were added to the enforcement effort putting extra officers on the road in 35 counties.
In addition to seat belt violations, 101 drunk drivers were arrested during the enforcement period as well as 48 drug arrests. More than 850 tickets were written for uninsured motorists and 530 for suspended licenses.
“While the main focus of this effort is seat belt enforcement, the extra officers on patrol and in zones make arrests and cite motorists for other violations,” said Office of Highway Safety Planning Director Michael L. Prince. “The federal funds used for the mobilization really do make communities safer.”
Seat belts are the single best way motorists can protect themselves in the event of a crash. Using a seat belt increases the odds of surviving a crash by 50 percent.
Officers will again take to the streets working stepped up impaired driving patrols Aug. 19 - Sept. 5 as part of the Over the Limit. Under Arrest. drunk driving crackdown. More than 200 police agencies statewide will work extra hours of enforcement during the heavily traveled Labor Day holiday period. (Source: OHSP press release)
