(Burlington
City) - New Jersey’s seat belt usage
rate has risen to a record 86% following
the two-week, 2005 “Click
It or Ticket” campaign which
ran from May 23rd through June 5th. It
is a significant increase over the 2004
usage rate of 82%. New Jersey’s
seat belt usage rate has risen 23 percentage
points in the last 8 years, from 63% in
1998 to the current 86%. Statewide, 434
police departments participated in the
enforcement mobilization and issued more
than 65,500 seat belt summonses. Of those,
240 police departments had received Division
enforcement grants, while the balance
of those departments also displayed their
dedication by conducting enforcement efforts
without the benefit of grants.
“I
commend our local law enforcement agencies
across New Jersey for strongly enforcing
the State’s seat belt law, which
makes failure to wear seat belts a primary
offense for which drivers can be stopped
and ticketed,” said Attorney General
Peter C. Harvey. “Police issued
over 65,000 seat belt summonses during
this year’s Click It or Ticket campaign.
Those enforcement efforts - combined with
our public education initiatives - are
increasing seat belt usage and saving
lives.”
“Click
It or Ticket” combined enforcement
with a concentrated media campaign to
educate the motoring public about the
importance of seat belt use,” said
Division Director Roberto Rodriguez. “The
results equate to more lives saved in
New Jersey and tens of millions of dollars
that won’t be spent on medical care
resulting from crashes.”
Director
Rodriquez says the dramatic rise in seat
belt usage could hopefully mean more dedicated
federal dollars coming into the Garden
State. That would make additional grants
available to allow police agencies statewide
to better enforce seat belt usage on a
year-round basis.
The new 86% figure equates to 5,208,286
licensed drivers in New Jersey who use
seat belts. The remaining 14% are the
847,860 drivers who still refuse to buckle
up. Much work remains to be done to reach
this latter segment of the driving public.
Seat belt use reduces a motor vehicle
occupant’s risk of fatal injury
by 45%, and moderate to critical injury
by 50% (NHTSA).
The location of today’s press conference
was the Niagara Volunteer Fire Company
in Burlington City, near the heavily traveled
intersection of Routes 130 and 541 (High
Street).