La Porte Police Department Completes Click It or Ticket Crackdown to Save Lives and Boost Seat Belt Use

La-Porte-Police-DepartmentAfter a 17-day police mobilization, the 2013 Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign in La Porte comes to an end with an announcement by the La Porte Police Department announced that 201 citations and 168 warnings were issued during the region’s special safety crackdown. Of the citations, 145 were issued for Seat Belt Violations; two for Child Restraint violations; 21 for Speeding and 27 for various other offenses. Officers also made four arrests for Possession of Marijuana; one arrest for Possession of Paraphernalia and issued one summons for Possession for Paraphernalia. A total of 40 grams of marijuana was seized.

The annual Click it or Ticket mobilization may be over in La Porte, but that is no excuse to stop using your seat belt,” said Captain Tom Heath. “Our law enforcement officers are out all year long. If you or your passengers are caught not wearing a seat belt at any time, day or night, you will be cited for the safety violation.”

According to the latest preliminary statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 86 percent of passenger vehicle occupants across the nation in 2012 were wearing seat belts—an all-time high rate.

High-visibility enforcement such as the Click It or Ticket mobilization is credited with increasing the national belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to the estimated observed usage rate of 86 percent in 2012. Belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year. NHTSA statistics show that in 2011 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide.

The La Porte Police Department is proud to have supported the 2013 Click It or Ticket mobilization – a highly visible national enforcement crackdown created to save more lives on our roadways,” said Captain Tom Heath. “Both during day and also at night, our stepped-up enforcement showed La Porte how important it really is for everyone to always buckle up every trip, every time. Don’t forget to buckle up and please encourage those around you to always do the same.

For more on the national Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov.