State and local law enforcement officers in Kentucky and highway safety advocates across the country say they are helping save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws around the clock.
“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 Frankfort Police Chief Walter Wilhoite “Our goal is to save more lives, so we will be out enforcing seat belt laws day and night.”
While seat belt use is at a record high of 84 percent nationwide, Kentucky lags behind with an 82 percent usage rate. Frankfort police say the rate for that city is currently 77 percent. There were 721 total highway fatalities in Kentucky in 2011, with 576 killed in motor vehicles. Of those 576 fatalities, 58.7 percent were not wearing a seat belt.
Even through this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs through Memorial Day weekend, motorists should know that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.
As part of this campaign, during the holiday period, the Frankfort Police Department will also focus an intense effort to reduce traffic crashes.
In addition, police will conduct safety check points, with special attention paid to sobriety, occupant protection and insurance and registration violations.
For more on the national Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit
www.nhtsa.gov.
