Edited by Chris Graham
[email protected]
The Waynesboro Police Department will be taking part in the nationwide Click It or Ticket seatbelt-enforcement campaign that begins today and runs through June 6.
In 2009, Virginia, had the highest recorded seat belt use rate in history at 82.27 percent. Even with that good news, 756 citizens lost their lives on Virginia roadways, and of those, 333 individuals were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. In Waynesboro, there were no fatalities in 2009; however, there has been one fatality in 2010 that has been directly attributed to the victim not wearing a seatbelt.
“Do you realize how many lives could be saved, or injuries reduced if everyone would simply buckle up? That’s why the department will join law enforcement from across Virginia and the nation to reinforce Click It or Ticket – day and night,” Waynesboro Police Chief Doug Davis said.
In 2009, Virginia had a total number of 414 crash-related fatalities; of those, 195 were unbelted fatalities. These fatalities are largely men between the ages of 21 and 35 years of age (68 of the unbelted fatalities occured between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.).
“Given this information”, said Chief Davis, “citizens can expect to see law enforcement at all hours of the day and night enforcing all traffic laws, but we will be paying particular attention to whether a seatbelt is being worn.”
The department joins thousands of law enforcement officials, highway safety representatives and safety advocates in Virginia who have vowed to support the annual mobilization. High-visibility enforcement such as the Click It or Ticket mobilization is credited with increasing the national belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to an observed usage rate of 84 percent in 2009. Virginia’s goal in 2010 is to increase usage to 83.7 percent.
Support AFP
Share
Chris Graham
