Click-It Or Ticket Campaign Begins In Naugatuck

NAUGATUCK, CT — A national seat belt enforcement campaign kicked off Monday in Naugatuck and will continue into June, according to police.

In a news release, police said the "Click It or Ticket" campaign is aimed at enforcing seat belt use to help keep families safe.

The campaign will run until June 5 and occur during one of the busiest travel and holiday weekends of the year, police said.

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According to police, the campaign is a key tool in public awareness and enforcement for safety belt use. Efforts are undertaken to increase awareness and adherence to Connecticut's occupant protection laws with a priority given to enforcement and education, police said.

According to the state's seat belt laws:

• Connecticut Safety Belt Law -- General Statute 14-100a(c)(1) FINE $92
  • All drivers and front seat passengers are required to wear a safety belt.
  • The driver is responsible for any passenger under 16 years of age.
• Connecticut Child Restraint Law -- General Statute 14-100a(d)
  • Infants must remain rear facing until they are both 20 pounds and one year old.
  • Children must be in an approved child restraint system (such as a car seat with internal harness or booster seat) until the children are both over 6 years old and over 60 pounds.
  • Children who ride in a booster seat must use a lap and shoulder belt.

Police also urged drivers to remember:

• Children depend on the adult to properly ensure their safety when riding in an automobile.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 4 and 14 years old.
• Safety belts, when properly used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45 percent.
• Automobile crashes are responsible for over 240 deaths annually in Connecticut.
• Every hour, someone in America dies simply because they did not Buckle Up!
• National averages show that a death occurs every 13 minutes from injuries due to motor vehicle crashes, 115 people are killed daily.
• It only takes about 3 seconds to BUCKLE UP!