New Milford Police Join in Seat Belt Crackdown

NEW MILFORD, CT -- The police have signed on to the "Click It or Ticket" campaign that targets motorists who have not properly fastened their seat belts. The crackdown coincides with Memorial Day weekend, traditionally one of the busiest traffic three-day periods.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign is aimed at increasing the use of seat belts among young people in the United States. The campaign relies heavily on targeted advertising aimed at teens and young adults.

“With the Memorial Day Weekend upon us, Connecticut's law enforcement agencies intend to promote safe driving and increase the protection of all motorists,” according to the media release. “Law enforcement officials are out on Connecticut's roads enforcing the State Occupant Protection laws and issuing citations to those who are unbuckled.”

According to the NHSA, nearly forty-eight percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2016 were unrestrained. At night, that number jumped to 56 percent of persons killed. That is one of the reasons why the campaign focuses on nighttime enforcement. In Connecticut, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is ninety-eight dollars.