Police begin seat belt enforcement zones during 'Click It or Ticket' campaign
Motorists who refuse to buckle up are running a greater-than-normal risk of getting a ticket this week.
Area law enforcement agencies Monday began the annual “Click It or Ticket” safety belt enforcement campaign. Police officers on the lookout for motorists not following the law will relay the information to officers in enforcement zones, who will stop and ticket safety belt scofflaws. The campaign lasts two weeks.
Photo courtesy of the Michigan State Police
Last year, nine people died over the Memorial Day holiday period. Of those, three were not wearing a seat belt.
Michigan law requires all drivers and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall.
Following the state’s record-high rate of 97.9 percent safety belt compliance in 2009, seat belt use has declined to 94.5 percent in 2011, the Office of Highway Safety Planning said in a news release. Every 1 percent increase in belt use means 10 fewer traffic deaths and 130 fewer injuries.
Participating agencies in Washtenaw County include Ann Arbor Police, Chelsea Police, Northfield Township Police, Pittsfield Township Police, Saline Police, Milan Police State Police, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and University of Michigan Police.
The effort is supported with federal traffic safety funds and administered by Office of Highway Safety Planning, allowing for additional police officers to be out on patrol.
Comments
Superior Twp voter
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 4:26 p.m.
Total waste of taxpayer's dough. Any excuse to get into your vehicle, search, check your status for activity.... Officers sitting where they can watch through binoculars and possibly even night-vision equipment. Scary stuff!
u812
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 9:50 p.m.
I thought republicans were just about getting Rich and starting wars now they want to tell people how to live.
Ryan Mosher
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 2:25 p.m.
The law is a JOKE! Evenmoreso now that the state does not require helmets for motorbikes!?! Really? My Uncle died in a car accident BECAUSE he was wearing his seat belt! Proven Fact according to police records. I do not wear my belt for this reason. I am an educated man and know the odds, but still it is my choice. We as Americans still have the freedom to choose.....don't we. I choose for my own reasons not to wear one and if there any officers out there reading this, I drive a Blue 2008 GMC. Please watch for me and give me a ticket, I will gladly pay $75 to keep my own personal right!
OLDTIMER3
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 1:10 p.m.
What a waste of money. AQ policeman standing on the sidewalk watching to see if you are buckled up. They repeal the helmet law and crack down on seatbelt law. The officer cannot see the seatbelt fro the sidewalk all he can see is the shoulder belt where it crosses the chest.
Sophie
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 9:12 a.m.
How silly to enforce a seatbelt law in the same state that you can ride a motorcycle wearing nothing but a speedo and a t-shirt.Waste of manpower and money!
P. J. Murphy
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 2:41 a.m.
In 2009, according to the Center for Disease Control, over 33,000 people died in vehicle accidents, 53% of those who died were not wearing belts. According to the CDC: "Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50% ". If you are more interested in the data on this question go here: http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/seatbeltbrief/index.html Seat belts work and enforcement increases seat belt use. Because drivers who don't use belts are more prone to injury and death, they increase the cost of insurance for all. I don't want to restrict anyone's freedom, but I don't want to have to pay for it's consequences either.
aaisaplus
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 3:05 a.m.
That 33,000 is just peanuts. Between the CDC and the Journal of the American Medical Association you'll find info showing how over 150,000 American's are killed yearly by their own obesity. You'll also find that obesity costs the healthcare system $147 billion annually, and these increased insurance costs trickle down to every one, just like car injuries. Since you say you don't want to pay for the consequences of others, then obesity must be even more concerning. So while were dictating how others should protect themselves, why not send those officers over to the local supermarket to set up a grocery-cart check points? There's no good reason why people should choose to eat fattening foods, especially knowing the odds will eventually catch up to them. Therefore, our government should write fat-food tickets to increase safe eating. Rest assured, it would not be for the money, just for public awareness. No, I don't want grocery-cart check points or fat-tickets. I just want to eat my fried cheese steak in peace, and that seat belt sure feels tight afterward. If you're going to pull be over for one, you might as well be pulling me over for the other. Or are we just hypocrites?
Machine
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 1:28 a.m.
I see people speeding, running red lights, and doing other things that endanger OTHERS all the time but the police are more interested in enforcing a law that only endangers (theoretically) the unbuckled individual. Silly.
slug
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 12:22 a.m.
Read the .pef - this isn't just belt enforcement. It's searching for the "impaired" under the guise of seat belt crimes. How come this isn't mentioned in the article above?
Superior Twp voter
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.
Oh sooo true!
slug
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 12:23 a.m.
(.pdf)
Urban Sombrero
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 10:32 p.m.
Who's more at risk of injury: a driver not wearing a seat belt or a motorcyclist without a helmet? Our governor saw fit to repeal the helmet law, yet this law stays on the books? Two words: revenue enhancement.
Skyjockey43
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 10:31 p.m.
I keep seeing people citing personal anecdotes about deaths where lack of seat belt use was a contributing factor in a driving fatality as a means of justifying these ridiculous seat belt laws, and the resulting enforcement. So let me see if I have this straight: If someone dies as a result of not taking personal responsibility for their safety, then we should pass a law requiring people to act safely. Right? Ok in 2010 there were 35,080 deaths as a result of motor vehicle accidents in this country regardless of seat belt use. Therefore, as a result of so many fatalities, should we pass a law banning driving as it is obviously so unsafe? Better yet, there were 595,444 deaths due to heart disease in this country last year. Should we then enact legislation banning all unhealthy foods and requiring mandatory exercise? (rats, Bloomberg beat me to it) Should we then have our police setting up exercise enforcement zones so that people don't kill themselves with obesity? Look, there are an endless number of ways people can kill themselves, intentionally or accidentally. At what point do we draw the line between government acting as a nanny for every activity the citizenry engages in, and allowing people to take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for their own actions?????
u812
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 2:27 a.m.
everyone wants to tell everyone else how to live and what to do and how much they can make,it's the new reality we live in.
obviouscomment
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 10:42 p.m.
What about the part of the law that covers children and infants? Are you against that as well? Children shouldn't have to pay for the irresponsible actions of their parents/caregivers.
obviouscomment
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 10:21 p.m.
I don't understand all the complaints about them enforcing this law. Sure it may bring them more money in the process. But if you wear a seat belt you have nothing to worry about. The only people who have cause for complaint are those who aren't wearing them and there's really no excuse for that.
Dennis
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 10:15 p.m.
Another wonderful infringement on our civil rights.
MRunner73
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 10:07 p.m.
If drivers haven't gotten the message to buckle up by now, then they should be ticketed. Better not get caught at night if after leaving some watering hole.
Homeland Conspiracy
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 9:56 p.m.
Wouldn't a bake sale be easier?
Mike
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 9:25 p.m.
Great fund raiser; ride a motorcycle, no seat belt or helmet required.............
Mike
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 9:49 p.m.
What I teach my kids is that you can't control your own destiny, it's in Gods hands. Even people with seat belts get killed in car accidents, kids die from cancer, etc. I'm not advocating foolish behavior but have you ever seen how foolishly bicyclists ride in traffic? How much protection are they afforded?
u812
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 9:34 p.m.
Motorcycles are safer then cars is what we are teaching our next generation?
djacks24
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 9:22 p.m.
Does anyone even still drive without a seat belt on anymore? Seems more like "we needed an excuse to pull you over and possibly issue a ticket, so this is our excuse for our ticket writing, fund raising, effort."
Greggy_D
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 8:21 p.m.
"Last year, nine people died over the Memorial Day holiday period. Of those, three were not wearing a seat belt." Six who were wearing their seat belt died.
Peregrine
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 3:40 a.m.
@Greggy_D: fjord is right. To really understand the situation you have to know what percentage of drivers/passengers wear their seat belts. Imagine, for the sake of the point, that 99% wear theirs and 1% do not. So if seat belts did not improve safety we'd expect for every 99 who died while wearing theirs, only 1 not wearing theirs would die. But with the odds in the example 49.5 would die. The jump from 1 to 49.5 would be pretty astounding and make quite the case for wearing a seat belt. Now again, I don't know what the ratio of wearers to non-wearers is. But that's the key missing element in your implied analysis.
Mike
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 9:26 p.m.
Excellent point but you'll still need to pay your ticket...............show me the money...........
fjord
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 8:37 p.m.
You think you have a point here, but you don't.
mstairs
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 8:14 p.m.
Boo! Hiss! Can anyone say cash grab? Coming soon: police checkpoints to make sure you brush your teeth before bed.
Peregrine
Tue, May 22, 2012 : 12:59 p.m.
Ask yourself, @mstairs, if this is just a "cash grab", why are police agencies engaged in a CLICK IT OR TICKET *CAMPAIGN*? The only reason to have a campaign is to encourage people to change their behavior ahead of time thereby avoiding the ticket. If this really were a "cash grab", they would increase enforcement w/o saying anything to the press.
GoNavy
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 8:56 p.m.
Hmm. Under which Michigan statute will I be cited for my bad breath?
fjord
Mon, May 21, 2012 : 8:36 p.m.
Or maybe just some wild exaggeration on the part of AnnArbor.com commenters.