PennDOT, Buckle Up PA along with Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township police announced that they will partner to participate in a national “Click It or Ticket” seatbelt enforcement initiative through June 5.
The effort will focus largely on nighttime enforcement, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. using traffic enforcement zones and roving patrols.
Police will also use Traffic Enforcement Zones, which combine stationary enforcement and checkpoint tactics on roadways with high numbers of unbuckled crashes. Citations will be issued to motorists who are caught unbuckled or transporting unrestrained children.
According to PennDOT data, there were 13,534 unrestrained crashes that resulted in 413 fatalities in 2015.
Motorists are reminded that Pennsylvania’s primary seatbelt law requires drivers and passengers under 18 years old to buckle up, and children under the age of four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat.
Children ages 4 to 8 years must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat. In addition, children age 8 to 18 years must be in a seatbelt when riding anywhere in the vehicle.
Also, drivers and front-seat passengers 18 years-old or older are required to buckle up. If motorists are stopped for a traffic violation and are not wearing their seatbelt, they can receive a second ticket and second fine.
The effort, which includes 370 Pennsylvania municipal agencies, supplements the national “Click It or Ticket” Mobilization, which runs through June 5. As part of the initiative, PennDOT distributes federal enforcement funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For more information on seatbelt safety, visit www.JustDrivePA.com.