Throughout November, the Madera Police Department is joining agencies across the country, promoting the importance of wearing a seat belt in the car and keeping children safe by ensuring they are properly restrained.
This year’s Click-it or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign is from Nov. 16-29. Our patrol officers will be looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt during this time. This includes drivers who do not properly secure children in child safety seats.
While the seat belt use rate in California was 96% last year, there has been a noted drop in seat belt use by back seat passengers. A recent report by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) found only 76% of rear-seat passengers wore seat belts.
“Along with watching your speed and being aware of other traffic, wearing a seat belt is your best defense on the road,” Sergeant Randall Williams said. “It only takes a few seconds and helps keep you and your family safe.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts saved nearly 15,000 lives of people ages five and older in 2017.
The fine for a seat belt violation is $162. California law requires a child be properly secured in a safety seat in the second row of a vehicle, when available until they are at least 8 years of age. Children under the age of 2 must ride rear-facing or until they reach 40 pounds or 40 inches in height.
California has a primary seat belt law, allowing law enforcement officers to ticket someone for not wearing a seat belt without committing another traffic violation.
Funding for this program was provided by a California Office of Traffic Safety grant through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.