Click It or Ticket
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: On or after Monday, May 5
CONTACT:
Hampstead Police Department – Cpt. Jay Gribbin – 410-239-8954
Manchester Police Department – Officer Eric Immler – 410-239-6900
Sykesville Police Department – Sgt. Shawn Kilgore – 410-795-0757
Taneytown Police Department – Cpl. James Brooks – 410-751-1150
Westminster Police Department – Sgt. Keith Benfer – 410-876-4646
C.R.A.S.H. Coalition – Kim Spangler 410-876-4965
No Excuses, No Exceptions – Buckle Up Day and Night
Carroll County, MD– The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Hampstead Police Department, Manchester Police Department, Sykesville Police Department, Taneytown Police Department, Westminster Police Department and Maryland State Police, Westminster Barrack announced today they are joining with the Maryland State Highway Administration’s Safety Office and other safety advocates in renewing a pledge to save lives through the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization.
The campaign, which begins in
“Although most motorists in
This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign will emphasize enforcement during nighttime hours – when drivers and occupants are less likely to wear seat belts. In 2006, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 15,046 passenger vehicle occupants were killed between the nighttime hours of 6 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Nearly two-thirds (of those killed at night were NOT wearing seat belts — compared to less than half of the passenger vehicle occupants killed during daytime hours. Preliminary results in
Young people, men in particular, are at greatly increased risk, and are among those least likely to buckle up at night. In fact, the most recent data available shows that roughly 66 percent of
Lt. Mark Gonder, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said, “Worn correctly, seat belts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 45 percent for front-seat passenger vehicle occupants and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans. In fact, national data shows that more than three-quarters of passenger vehicle occupants who were in a serious crash in 2006 and were buckled up survived the crash.”
Increased law enforcement activities, including seat belt checkpoints, will be conducted nationwide during the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization. Paid national advertising, as well as State advertising, will support the mobilization by promoting the life-saving benefits of regular seat belt use, especially nighttime belt use, to all motorists.
Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce motor vehicle crash fatalities. High-visibility enforcement has been proven effective at getting people to buckle up.
“Wearing your seat belt is easy and it costs you nothing. Not wearing your belt will probably cost you $25 in
“Buckle up” is one of the key messages of the State’s Choose Safety for Life campaign, a partnership to save lives and prevent injuries on Maryland’s roadways. For more information, please log onto www.choosesafetyforlife.com.
To learn more about the Click It or Ticket campaign and the lifesaving benefits of wearing your seat belt, please visit www.nhtsa.gov.
