Gloucester City Police Department to Partake in Nationwide Click It or Ticket Mobilization May 19 – June 1

MEDIA RELEASE, MAY 7th

Gloucester City — Law enforcement officers from the Gloucester City Police Department will be cracking down on unbuckled motorists and their
passengers as part of the national \”Click it or Ticket Campaign.\”

Beginning May 19 and running through June 1, local police agencies will conduct a zero tolerance seat belt enforcement campaign and will issue
tickets to motorists who are not buckled-up.

\”Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a motorist and his or her passengers to protect themselves when on the road,\” said Pam Fischer, Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. \”Motor vehicle occupants who buckle-up are between 45 and 75 percent less likely to face life threatening injuries in a car crash. That\’s a statistic that should make every one buckle-up, every ride.\”

Last year, the seat belt usage rate in New Jersey rose for the 11^th consecutive year to 91.4%. Fischer noted that while seat belt usage rates continue to increase in New Jersey, law enforcement and safety officials will not rest until the state achieves a 100 percent compliance rate.

\”We\’ve seen the seat belt usage rate steadily increase during the past decade with the help of focused enforcement efforts such as Click it or Ticket,\” Fischer added. \”But our work isn\’t done. We\’ll continue to use both enhanced enforcement and public outreach efforts to educate all motorists on the life-saving value of seat belts.\”

Nationally, between 1975 and 2000, seat belts prevented 135,000 fatalities and 3.8 million injuries, saving $585 billion in medical and other costs. Seat belt use is particularly critical for teens and young adults, with motor vehicle crashes cited as the leading cause of death for people age 15 to 34 in the United States.

\”We are committed to the Click It or Ticket strategy,\” added Tom Louizou, Regional Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. \”Tickets are a strong deterrent and the results are meaningful: fewer deaths on our roads.\”