December 11, 2003

LANSING – Nearly 16,000 Michigan motorists received a costly reminder to fasten their safety belt during the two-week Buckle Up or Pay Up, Click It or Ticket mobilization.

Law enforcement agencies across the state made safety belt enforcement a priority, Nov. 17-30, with agencies in 20 counties conducting highly visible safety belt enforcement zones. A total of 334 agencies reported their citation activity to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).

Of the citations issued, 15,499 were for unbuckled adults and 490 were child restraint citations. Agencies also made 1,818 drunk driving and other alcohol arrests, 850 felony arrests, 3,902 misdemeanor arrests, cited 11,596 motorists for speeding and 1,652 motorists for driving with suspended licenses.

These figures include citations written in the 207 safety belt enforcement zones, where officers issued 8,663 safety belt citations for unbuckled adults and 179 child restraint citations.

"This wasn’t a secret. There was $400,000 in advertising on the airwaves to alert motorists that we were cracking down on safety belt violators and there were even signs up advising them of the safety belt enforcement zones," said Michael L. Prince, OHSP division director. "The good news is that safety belt citations are down from the 19,347 written this time last year which means more people are getting the message that safety belts save lives and are buckling up."

This enforcement period included the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend. Although information is still preliminary, Michigan recorded 11 holiday traffic fatalities.

Michigan’s mandatory safety belt law requires the driver and front seat passengers to be buckled up. Children under age 4 must be in an approved child safety seat. And, passengers up to and including age 15 must be buckled up, in front or rear seating positions. In addition, drivers or passengers who have a shoulder harness placed under their arm or behind their back can be ticketed for failure to properly buckle up. The cost for a safety belt citation is $65.

OHSP coordinated the mobilization, providing federal traffic safety funds for overtime patrols in selected areas and paid advertising to ensure widespread awareness of the program. In the current fiscal year, OHSP will provide nearly $2 million in federal money to law enforcement agencies for overtime patrols and another $1.5 million in paid advertising during mobilization periods.