Crime & Safety

'Click It or Ticket' Campaign In Full Force

Wyandotte officers are participating in the national campaign that runs through June 5.

There's a good chance if you're driving down Fort Street in Wyandotte over the next several days without a seat belt on, you'll be pulled over and given a $65 reminder why you should have it fastened.

The is joining officers from more than 200 Michigan law enforcement agencies in the national Click It or Ticket campaign.

"Michigan has a primary seat belt law, which means law enforcement can stop and ticket motorists solely for not being buckled up," according to the Michigan State Police website.

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The state law requires all drivers, as well as passengers in the front seat or who are 15 or younger, to buckle up. The law also says children must ride in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4'9" tall, whichever comes first.

"Since seat belts do save lives, it is our hope to increase compliance with the law requiring the use of seat belts," Wyandotte Police Chief Daniel Grant said. "Our hope is to get 100 percent compliance, but we know that’s never going to happen."

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The campaign, which is federally funded, will use daytime seat belt enforcement zones and nighttime roving patrols. Officers who are assigned to the special detail are paid with grant money, Grant said, which allows his department to keep the same number of officers on regular patrol while the seat belt enforcement also is going on.

He said such programs are important because states must prove that they are keeping seat belt use above 70 percent. When a state dips below that level of compliance, Grant said, it runs the risk of losing federal highway grant money.

"Michigan has always been well above the 70 percent and this is just to give people a reminder of the importance of wearing seat belts," Grant said.

Over the years, he said, the message seems to be sinking in as fewer and fewer tickets are being written annually for seat belt violations.

Officers will be concentrating on Fort Street during the enforcement period, with an emphasis of Fort and Eureka, Grant said. The program runs through June 5.


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