In an effort to publicize seat belt safety and prevent car crash
fatalities, university police are enforcing the use of seat belts
more strictly this month.
Though the seat belt law is enforced year round, from May 24 to
June 6 UCPD will be especially on the lookout for drivers who do
not wear their safety belts.
UCPD will also be conducting saturation patrols, meaning that
there will be more officers in high-traffic areas.
UCPD crime prevention officer Robert Sadeh, says officers will
not hesitate to give any violators tickets, and they will accept no
excuses.
UCPD is not the only law enforcement agency stepping up the
enforcement of seat belt laws. These efforts are part of a national
campaign named “Click it or Ticket,” in which more than
13,000 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states participate.
There are several dynamics to this annual, two week campaign.
Not only will officers be giving out more tickets, but a federally
funded media campaign is being used to make the public more aware
about the need for safety belts. The media campaign includes ads in
television, newspapers and radio, as well as fliers and other
publications.
UCPD and other national law enforcement agencies hope that
stricter enforcement of state seat belt laws, combined with
heightened awareness through the media, will encourage drivers and
passengers to buckle up when they are in a vehicle.
The “Click it or Ticket” campaign was created to
emphasize to teenagers and young adults the need for vehicle
safety. The campaign targets this group due to their lack of
experience behind the wheel, risk-taking and low average of seat
belt usage, which combine to make them especially susceptible to
vehicle-related fatalities.
Though California has one of the best seat belt usage averages
in the nation, with an average of 91 percent of drivers wearing
seat belts, the state also faces a large number of young motorist
fatalities each year.
According to “Click it or Ticket” publications, more
than 500 16 to 20-year-olds were killed in vehicle crashes in
California in 2003. An additional 238 suffered incapacitating
injuries. Of these accidents, 49 percent of the motorists were not
wearing seat belts.
Some students still remain skeptical of the effectiveness of the
campaign. Behrooz Namdari, a third-year psychobiology student, said
there is more that could be done.
“Law enforcement officials could do more to increase
awareness for seat belt use by maybe publicizing it more than for
just two weeks. I do not think that increased publication for only
two weeks is sufficient,” he said.
But Sadeh pointed out that there have been great improvements in
seat belt use due to the enforcement of the “Click it or
Ticket” campaign. In the months after the 2003 campaign, the
national average of seat belt usage rose from 75 percent to 79
percent.
Sadeh said he hopes the increased enforcement will encourage
students to buckle up. Sadeh emphasized that UCPD does not gain
anything from writing more tickets. The goal is to save lives and
prevent injuries that could be avoided simply by using seat belts,
he said.
“If a ticket will save a person from a trip to the
emergency room, then it is well worth it,” he said.