FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Anne Readett, OHSP @ 517-333-5317

Lansing, Mich., May 22, 2002 - This Memorial Day weekend, whether people are heading to Northern Michigan or staying close to home, one thing is for certain: all roads lead to enforcement of the state's safety belt law. Motorists can expect law enforcement on freeways, highways and surface streets to boost safety belt use and drive down fatalities as part of the nationwide "Click it or Ticket" mobilization.

New this holiday weekend, Michigan State Police troopers will dedicate nearly 2,552 hours of overtime patrols to Michigan's highly traveled corridors, an effort that more than doubles MSP's usual commitment to holiday overtime enforcement.

The safety effort was announced today at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren by a coalition that includes AAA Michigan, General Motors and Travel Michigan, the official State of Michigan tourism promotion agency. These organizations are working with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) to ensure motorists get to and from their destinations safely. Each organization is helping to publicize the "Click it or Ticket" message across the state to promote safer travel.

More than 450 law enforcement agencies in Michigan are taking part in the mobilization. Michigan's goal is to reach 88.5% safety belt compliance by the end of 2002.

"Safety belts save lives. Our emphasis this weekend will be unbuckled motorists," said Lt/Col. Tadarial Sturdivant, commander of the Uniform Services Bureau of the Michigan State Police.

General Motors is posting special banners at their Michigan work sites and will be distributing materials to help boost belt use.

Michigan is one of 13 key states involved in an all out effort to increase safety belt use. In addition to statewide law enforcement participation, OHSP is using federal funds to advertise the increased enforcement through radio, television, cable and billboards.

Michigan's standard enforcement safety belt law requires that all front seat passengers buckle up, all passengers under 16 years of age buckle up regardless of seating position, and all children under age 4 be in an approved child safety seat. It is also recommended that children who outgrow a child safety seat be properly fitted for a "big kid" booster seat.

Following the Memorial Day mobilization, the Drive Michigan Safely Task Force will be out throughout June, continuing efforts to increase safety belt use through additional traffic patrols. Task Force counties are: Bay, Calhoun, Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair, Van Buren Washtenaw and Wayne.

"Click it or Ticket" is part of the Drive Michigan Safely Task Force, a collaborative effort between Michigan State Police, sheriff's departments and local police agencies coordinated by OHSP. The task force's goal is to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities in traffic crashes due to unbuckled motorists and impaired drivers through periodic stepped-up traffic enforcement.