The Boone County Traffic Safety Partnership (BCTSP), along with other agencies across Indiana, will be increasing patrols as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign ahead of Memorial Day weekend. For the next three weeks, officers will be out in full force making sure drivers and passengers are buckled up and children are properly secure.
Their goal is to reduce the number of traffic injuries and fatalities from lack of seat belt use, a continuing concern. Data from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) shows that unbuckled motorists make up almost 40% of all passenger vehicle deaths in the state. The overtime patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with grants administered by ICJI.
“Our focus is not on writing tickets but to encourage people to buckle up in order to save lives,” said Boone County Sheriff, Michael Nielsen. “Seat belts are your best form of protection in a crash and against dangerous
drivers. At the end of the day, we want everyone to reach their destination safely.”
Since the “Click It or Ticket” initiative began more than 20 years ago, seat belt use has gone up 30% in Indiana to 92.9%, which is slightly higher than the national average of 90.3%.
