Cops to focus on seat belt patrols

Bloomington police are joining other state and local law enforcement agencies in a new “Click It or Ticket” campaign from May 16 to June 1, focusing on nighttime motorists not wearing their seat belts.\nAccording to the Bloomington Police Department, this means 30 more patrols in undesignated locations, one to two extra per day.\nCurrently, Bloomington has 87 percent seat belt usage, 1.4 percent lower than Indiana’s overall observed seat belt usage for 2007. Truck seat belt usage in Bloomington is at 71 percent. \nWith the “Click It or Ticket” program, grant dollars are given to police officers who work overtime. About $5,000 will be spent in Bloomington on the campaign courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. According to the Bloomington Police Department, no local funding is being utilized.\nThe campaign includes media-awareness efforts and an increase in police visibility, especially at night when the risk of a fatal crash is greatest. Studies conducted by NHTSA show that in addition to nighttime motorists, drivers aged 16 to 24 are among those less likely to wear a seat belt.\n“The number of participants has increased, with more agencies overall,” said ICJI Executive Director Neil Moore. In addition, Moore said, more officers will be working during evening hours.\n“We’re instructing police officers to take an aggressive stand when ticketing,” Moore said.\nIndiana State Police have already adopted a zero-tolerance policy, which means offenders are immediately fined $25, but no points are added to their licenses.\nAccording to the 2007 Annual Observational Survey, Indiana’s overall observed seat-belt usage rate increased from 62.1 percent in 2000 to a record high of 88.4 percent in 2007. 71.5 percent seat-belt usage among pickup drivers was also recorded, a 22 point increase from 2005.\n“Our goal is to get numbers to over 95 percent seat belt usage,” Moore said. “Personally, I would love to see numbers even higher than that.”\nBut the ultimate goal is to save lives, he said. \n“We want more Hoosiers alive to be at home and spend time with their families,” Moore said.\nEffective last July, all car and truck passengers are now required to wear seat belts by Indiana state law. This includes passengers in the back of pickups. Prior to the law, only front-seat passengers were held accountable for wearing seat belts and all pickup-truck passengers were exempt.\n“You have the choice to wear your seat belt still, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” said sophomore Adam Adamo. “It becomes a routine. If you do it enough you don’t even think about it.”\nSenior Pat Corbett is all too familiar with the “Click It or Ticket” campaign.\n“My buddies and I were driving to the bars without our seat belts on, and got pulled over by the courthouse downtown,” Corbett said. Both Corbett and the passenger were fined for not wearing seat belts.\nEven so, he agrees with Adamo that wearing a seat belt \nis important.\n“Strapping on a seat belt is a two-second action that could save your life,” Corbett said.\nThe 2007 Indiana Occupant Protection fact sheet shows that 54 percent of individuals killed in 2006 car crashes were not wearing seatbelts. This number represents an 80 percent fatality rate for unrestrained pick up truck drivers.\n“The data clearly shows that seat belt usage increases and that seat belt usage saves lives,” Moore said.\nCorbett admits that the Click it or Ticket campaign has been successful, if only in his case.\n“It’s simple: I got caught, so now I always wear a seat belt,” Corbett said.