Holiday Click It Campaign Commencing

The Newtown Police Department kicks off Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization to focus on all unbuckled motorists — day and night. This is seat belt wave number 37. The theme of this campaign is “A Safe Thanksgiving Weekend.”

Newtown will join with hundreds of other law enforcement agencies across the country in renewing a pledge to save lives by intensifying efforts to enforce seat belt laws among all motorists around the clock during the 2009 Click It or Ticket mobilization, which runs from November 16 until November 29.

A presurvey of 100 vehicles completed on November 9 indicated a usage rate of 93 percent. The police department noted is is proud of this fact and will work to increase the rate even more.

Newtown’s last Click It or Ticket campaign, wave 36, was from May 18 to May 31. It resulted in 96 seat belt citations and 15 warnings, 2 DUI arrests, 89 other citations, 163 other traffic warnings, and 12 citations for alcohol possession by a minor. The seat belt usage right after the enforcement effort was 95 percent.

In addition, Newtown will be participating with the police departments of Redding, Brookfield, and Bethel to utilize a regional seat belt enforcement unit. On November 16, a team consisting of one officer from each town as well as a supervisor will spend four hours in Newtown. The overtime costs associated with this effort were obtained on a grant through the Department of Highway Safety.

Citizens are also reminded of the new seat belt laws for drivers that are under the age of 18. If the driver is under 18 years old, everyone in the vehicle must be belted or else face a fine of $120 for each person unbelted.

With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, Newtown police and all Connecticut’s law enforcement agencies intend to promote safe driving and increase the protection of all motorists. Law enforcement is out on the road enforcing the state occupant protection laws and issuing citations to those who are unbuckled.