In an effort to save lives and increase the state's safety belt use rate to 95 percent, the City of Ypsilanti Police Department is buckling down on safety belt scofflaws this month. City of Ypsilanti Police Department warns residents to buckle up or be prepared to pay up as they crack down on unbuckled motorists throughout the Memorial Day holiday.
"Traffic Safety is of a paramount concern for us," said Interim Police Chief Matt Harshberger. "Our goal is not to be punitive and simply issue citations, rather we are hoping to engage and educate the motoring community, while gaining compliance in an effort to reach 95% usage of safety belts in the city."
The City of Ypsilanti Police Department is joining more than 500 Michigan law enforcement agencies focusing on unbuckled motorists as part of the national Click It or Ticket mobilization, May 22 - June 4, 2007. While Officers will be enforcing all traffic violations during this time, they will be especially cognizant of checking for unbuckled motorists.
Michigan's safety belt use rate currently stands at a record-high 93 percent, but in order to save even more lives, agencies will be strictly enforcing the law in an effort to get more motorists to buckle up. According to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, for every 1 percent increase in safety belt use, 10 lives are saved.
The state's mandatory safety belt law requires the driver and front seat passengers to be buckled up, and children under age 4 to be in an approved child safety seat. It also requires passengers ages 15 and under to 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 not properly buckling up.