Date: May 9, 2019
For more information contact: Sheriff James J Bindl 608-647-2106
Richland County Sheriff’s Department to mobilize for Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement from May 20th to June 2nd.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department will join hundreds of law enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin for the annual Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement campaign from May 20 to June 2.
“As we enter another major travel season, we’re reminding motorists that wearing a safety belt is the single most effective way to protect themselves and prevent needless tragedies along our roadways,” said Sheriff Bindl.
Currently, Wisconsin’s seat belt use rate stands at 89 percent, behind our neighboring states of Minnesota and Michigan that are both over 90 percent. Last year, about half of the car and truck occupants killed in Wisconsin traffic crashes were not buckled up.
“Our goal is voluntary compliance with traffic laws, not to write citations,”Sheriff Bindl said. “But given a choice, we’d much rather write a ticket than have to knock on someone’s door and inform them that a loved one has been killed or seriously injured in a crash. So we’re reminding all motorists to buckle up, every seat, every trip ”
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Wisconsin’s primary seat belt law that allows law enforcement to stop and cite motorists for failing to wear a safety belt. In addition, drivers can be cited for every unbuckled passenger in their vehicle. Last year in Wisconsin, there were 50,875 traffic convictions for failure to fasten seat belts.
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Download printable news release – Click it or ticket 2019