Newtown police have a message for motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts — beware.
The town is joining Bethel, Brookfield, Redding and Ridgefield police departments and highway safety advocates across the country to help save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws around the clock during the 2012 Click It or Ticket campaign.
The effort kicks off today, Dec. 3, and extends through Dec. 16 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don't buckle up.
"Too many drivers and passengers on the road at night are not wearing their seat belts, and it all too often ends in tragedy," said Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe. "Our goal is to save more lives, so the Newtown Police Department joined by the Bethel, Brookfield, Redding and Ridgefield Police Departments will be out enforcing seat belt laws around the clock."
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2010 nationally, 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle crashes overnight (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 42 percent during the daytime hours.
Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year. NHTSA statistics show that in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide.
Younger motorists and men are particularly at risk. NHTSA data shows that among teen and young adult passenger vehicle occupants in 2010, ages 18-34, which were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, 62 percent were not buckled up at the time of the crash — the highest percentage of any age group. The number jumps to 66 percent when just men in this age group are included.
While this year's Click It or Ticket campaign runs from Dec. 3 through Dec. 16, Newtown police said motorists should know that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.
"Those who choose not to wear a seat belt will feel the heat from our officers who will be out cracking down on Click It or Ticket violators," Kehoe said. "Motorists should buckle up every time they go out, both day and night. Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone not buckled up ... no warnings and no excuses. Click It or Ticket."
The above report is based on a press release from the Newtown Police Department.
Where’s this story????
what a joke, how much do you make a year standing on rte 25 while 4 dopes pave a do the work of 2 on a section of the road for no apparent benefit to tax holders. Great waste more of my tax dollars, how about some street lights like everyother town has but us, although we are one of highest property taxed towns, we get what another field that takes 2 years to finish.
Although personally I'd rather let people decide; amend the law so that you can't sue for injuries or collect insurance if not wearing a seat belt, regardless of who's at fault - you'd see compliance go up to 99% in no time!
How dare you propose a market based solution in place of a government based solution. Get your mind right, Sir!
1) Use those "trial" speed bumps, for at least 2 summers, including cost of purchase, labor to assemble / disassemble, damage by snowplows, then only to remove & pave with asphalt??? 2)Why place these "experiments" on two roadways that i'm aware of, Queen Street & Poverty Hollow Rd. (let me know where there are more, please) at the assumed cost to the general taxpaying public, while leaving the condition of disrepair, i.e. potholes, frost heaves, broken asphalt ?? It would seem to me that the money spent would have been put to better use in repairing these road surfaces (as well as others) and installing more posted speed and caution signs and using radar displays backed up by occasional police presence. In closing, why not have the residents ONLY - of those roads with these extraordinary speed bumps pay for them?? I see people speeding on roads where the poor folks live, too!!
LOL! I forgot this is the People's Republik of Connecticut!
Seems like half the women in town can't get to the Big Y and back home without texting and yakking on the cell phone.
Enjoy Boys, a big storm is coming!!!!
Did you hear about the high school students who were rear-ended on the highway by a drunk driver last week? Two of them died, one of whom was ejected from the vehicle. Would it have been different if they had been wearing seatbelts? Could a prior ticket in a Big Y parking lot have changed their minds about wearing seat belts? We'll never know, because the police probably never enforced the seat belt law with them. Aren't they in the age group talked about in this article.
i've seen cops drive right by someone blatently using their cell phone, cops cant be bothered even when the perpetrator is in sight. so please..stop the nonsense, go after those who might kill us. Be on the look out for drunks, cell phone abusers, and lets not forget the ones who speed right through red lights and stop signs..go after them.