Illinois State Police - Press Release

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE
Hiram Grau - Director

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2011
6:53 AM

For More Information Contact:
Trooper Mike Link
618.346.3524 - work
618.973.3050 - cell
mike.link@isp.state.il.us

COLLINSVILLE, IL – Illinois State Police District 11 Commander, Captain Brad Parsons, announced today that District 11 Troopers will be conducting Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) and Safety Belt Enforcement Zones (SBEZ) during the May Click It or Ticket Campaign.

The Click It or Ticket campaign, which starts today (May 13) and runs through May 30, is a statewide enforcement and education effort to crack down on unbuckled motorists.

In 2009, during the Memorial Day weekend, (crashes occurring from 6 pm on May 22, through 11:59 on May 25), 30 people died in 17 motor vehicle crashes. An additional 757 people were injured.

More motorists die between the hours of midnight and 3:00 am than any other time of day. In 2009, 106 motor vehicle occupants died in crashes that occurred during the period midnight - 2:59am. Only approximately 23% were restrained.

Research has shown that when lap and shoulder belts are used properly, the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent. Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Remember this May 13 to May 30: It is Click It or Ticket. Buckle up and encourage your loved ones to do the same. You will save the cost of a ticket and may even save a life.

Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols are funded through a grant provided by NHTSA. The grant is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation/Division of Traffic Safety. The grant allows the Illinois State Police to target an area with saturation patrols that focus on traffic violations and related compliance with safety belt and child safety seat laws.

(See attached file: ClickitorTicketMay.pdf)

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