Click It Or Ticket Enforcement In Washington Twp

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Washington Township police will be participating in the nationwide "Click it or ticket" campaign to raise awareness around seatbelt safety. Between May 21 and June 3, officers will take part in high visibility seat belt checkpoints and saturation patrols.

"Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a driver and his or her passengers to protect themselves when traveling," said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. "In 2016, it is estimated that more than 14,500 lives were saved nationally by the proper use of seat belts."

Officials also want to raise awareness on the importance of wearing seatbelts in the backseat. 94 percent of all adults wear seatbelts in the front seat, but that number drops to just 48 percent in the backseat.

"For whatever reason there seems to be a disconnect with people feeling they don't need to buckle up when riding as a passenger in rear seats, and this is a concern," Poedubicky said.

Last year, 350 agencies in New Jersey participated in the campaign, and wrote 17,792 seat belt citations, 6,363 speeding summonses and made 976 impaired driving arrests.

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