Montgomery County, Texas – The 2010 National Click It or Ticket (CIOT) seat belt enforcement mobilization is in full swing. May 24 – June 6, 2010, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will be out in force participating in the enforcement mobilization. Drivers and passengers should always wear their seatbelts or be ready to face the consequences.
That is the message that the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is sending to motorist. Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and to reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is joining with other State and local law enforcement agencies throughout Texas to step up seat belt enforcement with increased patrols during Click It or Ticket to help ensure that more people always wear their seat belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.
Don’t be a statistic. Wear your seat belt. Why? It’s the law and wearing seatbelts can save your life and the life of your loved ones.
“This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign reminds drivers and passengers that no matter how old you are or where in the vehicle you are sitting, you must buckle up,” said Texas Highway Patrol Assistant Director David Baker. “Backseat passengers no longer have an excuse for not wearing a safety belt, and we will be issuing tickets to those who are not complying with the law.”
As of Sept. 1, 2009, state law has required everyone in a vehicle to be secured by a safety belt. (The previous law exempted anyone 17 and older from wearing a safety belt in the back seat.) Also, children younger than 8 years old must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
Since last September, the Texas Highway Patrol has been issuing warnings to drivers who don’t buckle up children younger than 8 in a child safety seat or booster seat. Beginning June 1, officers can ticket parents who do not secure their children in child safety seats or booster seats as required by law. Fines for noncompliance range from $25 to $250, plus court costs.
When you buckle up in the back seat, you are 44 percent more likely to survive a crash than if you do not wear a safety belt. If you’re riding in the back of a passenger van or SUV, you are 73 percent more likely to survive a crash if you’re wearing a safety belt.
