Local law enforcement is reminding drivers that wearing a seatbelt is not only a safer way to drive, it can also help them avoid getting a ticket.
As part of the national Click It or Ticket campaign, the Minden Police Department and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, along with agencies around the country, will be stepping up their efforts May 22 to June 4, just ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
“Memorial Day weekend kicks off summer vacation season and we want to make sure everyone arrives at their destination safe and sound,” Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper said. “If you are not wearing your seat belt, you will be ticketed.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly half of the more than 22,400 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2015 were unrestrained.
About 61 percent of drivers do not wear seat belts at night, which is when the majority of unbelted fatalities occur.
Law enforcement will write citations day and night with a zero-tolerance approach.
“We are determined to help bring those numbers down,” Cropper said. “ There are too many people dying on the roads, and many of those deaths could have been prevented if people took the simple step of wearing their seat belt.”