TRAVERSE CITY -- The annual statewide seatbelt enforcement campaign is kicking off Monday. The "Click It or Ticket" effort continues through June 5.
More than 200 law enforcement agencies are conducting seatbelt enforcement zones. The effort is to raise awareness and increase the state's seatbelt use rate.
A seatbelt enforcement zone is scheduled for the Grand Traverse County area Monday. It begins at 10:00 a.m. at Garfield Avenue and Boon Street.
More than 500 enforcement zones and nighttime patrols are planned to reinforce the importance of buckling up. If you are given a ticket for not wearing your seatbelt it will cost you $65.
"Seat belts are a motorist's best defense in the event of a crash," said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning director. "This two-week enforcement campaign is an effort to remind motorists to buckle up and more importantly, save lives."
Research shows when seat belts are used properly, the risk of being killed in a crash is reduced by nearly 50 percent. Although Michigan is among the top rated states in the country in seat belt usage, its use rate decreased to 95.2 percent in 2010 compared to an all-time-high rate of 97.9 percent.
The last time the state's belt use rate decreased was in 2007, when it dropped to 93.7 percent from 2006's 94.3 percent use rate. To help address this dip in belt use, five additional counties are taking part in this year's enforcement effort. In 2010, the state saw its traffic fatalities increase by 8 percent, from 871 deaths in 2009 to 937.
According to the MSP Criminal Justice Information Center, more than half of the state's passenger vehicle occupants who died last year were unbuckled - 321 people. In addition, 15 people died over the Memorial Day holiday period in 2010, the unofficial start to the state's summer travel season.
Michigan law requires all drivers, front seat passengers and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4'9" tall.
More information can be found by CLICKING HERE.
How often do you wear your seatbelt? Tell us "Your Point of View" by voting in the poll below and leaving your comments.
