Buckle Up

The City of Rye Police Department will intensify seatbelt enforcement May 19 through June 1, as part of New York State's annual “Buckle Up New York/Click It or Ticket” campaign to increase the use of seat belts and child safety seats. The campaign will stress high-visibility, zero-tolerance enforcement aimed at increasing seatbelt use. It will urge motorists to buckle their seatbelts or receive a summons, using the slogan “Click It or Ticket.”
“The 'Buckle Up New York/Click It or Ticket' initiative is intended to remind motorists that using seatbelts and child restraint seats is the single most effective way to save lives on our roads,” said Police Commissioner William Connors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that between 1975 and 2006, seat belts have prevented 226,567 fatalities.
Enforcement waves are usually scheduled during May and November of each year, along with enhanced enforcement efforts at other peak travel times, such as July 4th, Labor Day, and New Year's Eve. Largely as a result of these efforts, seat belt use in New York State increased from 16 percent prior to 1984 to a high of 85 percent between 2003 and 2005. During 2006 and 2007, usage dropped slightly, to 83 per cent. “Even that slight slippage is important,” said Commissioner Connors. “The importance of seat belts and child safety seats to occupant safety cannot be understated.”

The Police Department will sponsor a Child Safety Seat Check Saturday, May 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Headquarters. For further information, contact Sgt. Susan M. Rigano at 967-1234 or srigano@ryepd.ryeny.gov.