Law enforcement cracking down on seat belt offenders

Would you ever ride a roller coaster without the harness down?

Would you ever skydive without a parachute?

When you ride in a motor vehicle without a seat belt, you are taking a huge risk. One you can't afford. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2013, there were 9,580 unbelted vehicle occupants killed in crashes on our nation's roads.

Starting today through May 31, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office is joining the NHTSA and law enforcement agencies nationwide for the 2015 "Click it or Ticket" enforcement mobilization.

We will be out looking for seat belt violations, issuing citations to those caught traveling without a buckled seat belt or transporting unrestrained children. We are determined to get the message across: Seat belts save lives! In fact, from 2008 to 2012, they saved nearly 63,000 lives. And in 2012, an additional 3,031 lives could have been saved if all unrestrained occupants involved in fatal crashes had worn their seat belts.

We really want to get the right information out to motorists. There are too many false notions out there about seat belts. Young adults in particular seem to think they are invincible in vehicles. Unfortunately, they are dying at a disproportionate rate because they are not wearing their seat belts. Pickup truck occupants think that they don't need to wear their seat belts because they believe their large vehicles will protect them in a crash. The numbers from NHTSA tell a very different story - 63 percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed in crashes were not buckled up, compared to 43 percent of passenger car occupants.

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the busy summer travel season. It's the perfect time to remind everyone why seat belt use is required by law. And we want people to know - we're not stepping up enforcement so we can write tickets. We're doing it to save lives.

Next time you head out on the road, make sure you and everyone in your vehicle are buckled up. Don't just do it to avoid a ticket, do it so you arrive at your destination safely.

Since it's our job to help protect Kootenai County motorists, we're taking "Click It or Ticket" seriously. We're hoping you'll get the message and buckle up every trip, every time. Wearing your seat belt is required by law 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

So please remember, day and night, Click It or Ticket.

Info: www.nhtsa.gov/ciot