Milton drivers, buckle up or get a ticket

MILTON — The Milton Police Department urges everyone to buckle up for Memorial Day travels.

Beginning May 22, law enforcement officials will take part in the 2017 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization and cracking down on motorists who are not belted.

“As we kick off the busy summer driving season, it is critical that everyone buckles up every time they go out, day and night — no excuses,” Chief Tony Tindell said. “Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt, including drivers that have neglected to properly buckle their children.”

At 4 p.m. on May 22, the Milton Police Department will join law enforcement agencies across half of the United States in mobilizing the Click It or Ticket “Border to Border” Operation. Law enforcement agencies will join forces to provide increased seat belt enforcement at state borders, sending a zero-tolerance message to the public: driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 9,874 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2015 were not wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. Unbelted fatalities are more prevalent at night: 51percent of those killed in 2015 during the overnight hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. were unbelted at the time of the crash. 

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up,   especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” Tindell said. “We want to make this the safest summer possible.

“Buckling up is not optional; it’s the difference between life and death in a crash. That’s why we’re out here enforcing the law.”

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton drivers, buckle up or get a ticket