Click It or Ticket Campaign Targets Unbelted Drivers After Dark
By • June 2, 2011 0 1118
The District Department of Transportation is joining forces with the Metropolitan Police Department for the 2011 national Click It or Ticket seatbelt enforcement mobilization. The enforcement effort runs through June 5.
During the mobilization, officers will be increasing checkpoints to make sure motorists are wearing seatbelts. Unlike many other states, District law allows police to stop a vehicle solely because its drivers and passengers are not properly buckled up. In the District, there is a $50 Fine & two-point penalty for not driving with a seatbelt or having a passenger without a seatbelt. Drivers who fail to properly secure their child passengers face a $75 fine and two points for a first offense, and a $150 fine for fourth and subsequent offenses.
From 1997 to 2010, the percentage of belted drivers rose from 58 percent to 92 percent; the national average in 2010 was 85 percent. In light of the overall high level of compliance, the District and other jurisdictions are turning their focus on night-time hours, when seat belt efforts can make the most difference in saving lives and preventing injuries.
