2014 CLICK IT OR TICKET “Border to Border”

Dover, DE-  As motorists take to the roads this Memorial Day holiday, law enforcement officers from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will be out in full force, taking part in the 2014 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization and cracking down on motorists who are not belted.

Today, May 19th, officers from Delaware State Police, Delaware River and Bay Authority, Maryland State Police, New Jersey, Pennsylvania State Police, Selbyville PD, and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department will be teaming up and joining forces to mobilize the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) “Border to Border” enforcement operation from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  Agencies will be providing increased seat belt enforcement at border sites sending a ‘zero tolerance’ message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what State.  A total of eleven states are participating along the northeast including Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said Colonel Richard Arroyo of the Delaware River and Bay Authority police department.  “We want to make this the safest summer possible. Buckling up is not optional; it’s the difference between life and death in a crash.  That’s why we’re out here enforcing the law.  Click it or Ticket, every time, day or night.”

At a press event held earlier today at the Delaware Memorial Bridge to announce the Border to Border enforcement operation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) representatives from Region 2 (PA, NJ), Region 3 (DE, MD), and a crash survivor stressed the Click It or Ticket campaign message to buckle up day and night.

NHTSA Region 2 Administrator, Tom Louizou focused on drivers most at risk across the nation, “Our younger motorists—young men in particular—are most at risk.  62 percent of those killed in crashes were NOT buckled up—the highest percentage of any age group”, said Louizou.

Elizabeth A. Baker, Ph.D, NHTSA Region 3 Administrator commented on when most unbelted crashes happen.  “Most law-abiding citizens have gotten the message to buckle up. But the same is not true for nighttime drivers and passengers”, said Baker.  “Of those killed in nighttime crashes in 2012, 62% – two out of three – were not wearing their seat belts.”

Firsthand experience of what could happen to a person when involved in a unbelted crash was shared by Chris Weersing of Pennsylvania.   Chris was driving with a friend and involved in a single vehicle crash in 2005.   The friend was wearing a seat belt and hit his head on the windshield, Chris was not wearing his seat belt and his head hit a tree.  His friend walked away with a minor concussion, Chris was in a coma and not expected to recover.  Today Chris lives with the effects and injuries of an unbelted crash including traumatic brain injury, memory loss, and having to re-learn daily living activities.

Delaware is seeing a decrease in unbelted fatals compared to this time last year. At this time last year 56% of the fatal vehicle occupants were not wearing seat belts compared to 42% currently.  There have been a total of 33 vehicle occupants killed in a fatal crash this year in Delaware.  Delaware’s seat belt use rate is 92% compared to the national seat belt use rate of 86%.

Delaware law requires drivers and all passengers, including those in the back seat, to wear a seat belt.  An officer can pull over a driver if he sees any person in the vehicle not wearing a seat belt, even if there is no other violation. The ticket, which goes to the driver no matter who is unbuckled in the vehicle, totals $83.50.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.  And unbelted fatalities are more prevalent at night than during the daytime. According to NHTSA, 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 during the overnight hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.

In 2011, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide according to NHTSA. While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 20 through June 2, officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.

For more on the national Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov or for Delaware information please visit www.buckleupde.org.  For pictures of the Border to Border press event please visit www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE .


Click It Or Ticket

Delaware police officers are writing tickets to save lives.

CIOT Billboard 

Dover –  The Click It or Ticket campaign will be in full effect with statewide overtime seat belt enforcement starting Monday, May 12th through 26th.  Enforcement includes seat belt checkpoints in Dover and Wilmington and 446 saturation patrols to be conducted day & night by 35 state, local, and municipal police agencies statewide. Much of the enforcement will occur in the afternoons and evenings when the majority of unrestrained injuries and fatal crashes occur.

Delaware’s seat belt use rate is 92% compared to the national use rate of 86%.  At this time last year 50% of the 14 fatal vehicle occupants in Delaware were not wearing seat belts compared to currently 42% of 31 fatal vehicle occupants.

Delaware law requires drivers and all passengers, including those in the back seat, to wear a seat belt.  An officer can pull over a driver if he sees any person in the vehicle not wearing a seat belt, even if there is no other violation.  Officers will be issuing citations for seat belt violations as part of a zero tolerance policy.  The ticket, which goes to the driver no matter who is unbuckled in the vehicle, totals $83.50.

Participating agencies include Bethany Beach, Blades, Bridgeville, Camden, Capitol, Cheswold, Clayton, DE River & Bay Authority, Dewey Beach, Dover, Elsmere, Felton, Fenwick Island, Georgetown, Greenwood, Harrington, Laurel, Lewes, Middletown, Milford, Millsboro, Milton, New Castle City, New Castle County, Newark, Newport, Ocean View, Rehoboth Beach, Selbyville, Seaford, Smyrna, University of Delaware, Wilmington, and Wyoming police agencies along with and Delaware State Police.

Delaware law enforcement will also be participating in a one day seat belt border to border enforcement blitz on May 19th.  The Border to Border initiative will be kicked off at 10:30 a.m with a joint press event at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park with law enforcement from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware.  Law enforcement agencies along the east coast are teaming up to provide increased seat belt enforcement at border sites, sending a ‘zero tolerance’ message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what State.

“As we kick-off  the busy summer driving season it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night – no excuses,” said Jana Simpler, Director for the Office of Highway Safety. “Delaware law enforcement officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt – Click It or Ticket.

Click It or Ticket enforcement is being accompanied by paid media including radio, tv, billboards, gas pump toppers, digital & Pandora advertising. OHS will also promote seat belt safety through community outreach and public awareness activities including the Buckle Up Stencil project, messaging at the Wilmington Grand Prix, a seat belt education event with Chick-Fil-A in Camden, pizza box stickers, little league sponsorships, and race weekend activities at Dover International Speedway in the Monster Mile FanZone.

OHS has also established new partnerships this year with Dover International Speedway and several little league organizations. OHS is partnering with several little Bucklebear baseball card_Page_1league organizations throughout the summer to bring the seat belt message to parents and kids during the games with activities including a fast pitch game, mascot appearances by Wilmington Blue Rocks “Rocky”, the Shorebirds mascot “Sherman”, and OHS very own Bucklebear.  Each mascot will be handing out custom Buckle Up baseball cards to kids to teach them about seat belt safety.  OHS will also be sponsoring the May 31st NASCAR Nationwide Series race- Buckle Up 200 presented by Click It or Ticket.

High School seat belt checks will be conducted at several high schools by the student resource officers along with student groups.  They are handing out Smarties candy and dum-dum lollipops along with good and bad ‘tickets’ to occupants in the car depending on who is buckled up or not.

Seat belts save lives. Get the facts:

  • Wearing a seat belt decreases your risk of being seriously injured or killed in a crash by approximately 50%.
  • Strong seat belt laws protect families.  When parents are buckled up, 90% of the time their children are too.
  • The safest place for children under 12 to be buckled up is the back seat.
  • Hospital data shows that unbelted occupants in crashes are 3 times more likely to require a hospital stay. On average, hospital costs for an unbelted crash victim are 55% higher than those for a belted crash victim.

For more information on Click It or Ticket campaign and enforcement results please visit www.BuckleUpDE.org, Like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe .


92% of Delawareans Do This All The Time

Dover –   Do you buckle up every time you get in a vehicle?  92% of Delawareans do, every trip every time.  The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and law enforcement officials are reminding the other 8% to buckle up.  OHS will coordinate overtime seat belt enforcement with our law enforcement partners from March 8th to 16th.  Participating law enforcement agencies include Milford PD, New Castle County PD, Newark PD, Wilmington PD, Wyoming PD, and Delaware State Police.

OHS will be combining enforcement with paid media, education & outreach that will get the message to buckle up to the individuals in need of hearing the message.  Posters, informational flyers, and newsletters have been distributed to traffic safety partners, schools, and businesses that highlight the importance of seat belt use.  In addition, OHS is sponsoring the DIAA Boys Basketball tournament on March 6 and 8 at the UD Bob Carpenter Sports building and will have a Buckle Up Photo Booth, seat belt informational table, seat belt public service announcements, and halftime shooting contest to win NASCAR tickets to Dover International Speedway.  The shooting contest contestants will be chosen from those who visit the seat belt informational table and participants of the Buckle Up Photo Booth.

Paid media will accompany the enforcement with ads on tv, online, and Pandora.  In the new ads, individuals give their reasons why they wear a seat belt: “I do it for protection,” “I do it because, I like the way it makes me feel,” “I do it because my girlfriend prefers it”, yet 8% of Delawareans still don’t buckle up.

Delaware’s seat belt law requires all vehicle occupants, even back seat passengers, to be “properly” buckled up.  “Properly” means that both lap and shoulder belts must be worn.  In particular, the shoulder belt must be worn across the chest.  Anyone who puts the shoulder belt under their arm, or behind their back is in violation of state law and is putting themselves at greater risk for being seriously injured in a crash.

The law allows officers to pull over a driver if he/she sees any person in the vehicle not wearing a safety belt.  Officers will issue citations for seat belt violations as part of a zero-tolerance policy.  The ticket, which goes to the driver no matter who is unbuckled in the vehicle, is a $25.00 fine plus court administrative fees.

In addition, Delaware’s child restraint law says that the driver is responsible for making sure all children in the vehicle are properly buckled up.  All children under the age of 8 years or 65lbs must be in the appropriate child restraint seat (an infant, toddler or booster seat).  Children who are 8 or at least 65lbs in weight, whichever comes first, must be restrained in a seat belt.  Children under the age of 12 must ride in the back seat when front seat passenger air bags are present.  Child restraint violations are also $25.00 plus court administrative fees.

More waves of seat belt enforcement will take place in May, June, and July.    Delaware’s current seat belt use rate of 92% exceeds the latest 2012 national seat belt use rate of 86%.

For more information on Delaware’s seat belt law or enforcement campaigns, please visit the Office of Highway Safety’s website at www.ohs.delaware.gov, Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE, or Follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe.  For information on the latest national seat belt use rate by states (2012) visit http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811809.pdf.


OHS Announces Delaware Seat Belt Use Rate

Dover – Delaware Office of Highway Safety officials are pleased to announce an increase Delaware’s statewide seat belt use rate.   Results from observational seat belt surveys conducted in June have revealed that the state’s 2013 statewide usage rate is 92%.    This is a significant increase from the 2012 statewide seat belt use rate of 88%.  The national 2012 seat belt use rate is 86%.

County seat belt rates have also increased. Kent County saw the highest increase from 79% in 2012 to 92% this year, New Castle County seat belt rate is now 90% compared to 87% in 2012 and Sussex County increased from 90% in 2012 to 93% for 2013.

“We are extremely happy with this increase in the state’s seat belt use rate particularly since we, in partnership with law enforcement statewide, and our partners in the healthcare, public safety and corporate communities, have worked so hard each year to keep increasing our usage rate,” said Jana Simpler, Director for the Delaware Office of Highway Safety.  “Higher seat belt use rates generally translate into more lives saved and that is always our ultimate goal.”

Sadly, the overall increase in seat belt use is not being reflected in this year’s fatal crash statics.  Since January 1st of this year, of the 41 drivers and passengers killed in Delaware motor vehicle crashes, 20 (or 49%) of them were not wearing seat belts.  Unfortunately, these deaths typically involve other risky behaviors, including aggressive and impaired driving. Comparatively, at this time in 2012, 20 (or 43%) of the then 47 drivers and passengers killed were not wearing seat belts.

“While our surveys show more Delawareans are buckling up, nearly half of those killed on Delaware roadways this year were not. We are encouraging drivers to wear their seat belts for every trip and to make certain their passengers are belted too. Buckle up, not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones.  It’s an easy habit to adopt,” Lewis D. Schiliro, Secretary of Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Delaware is one of only 16 states to have a primary seat belt law requiring drivers and all passengers, including those in the back seat, to wear a seat belt. An officer can pull over a driver if he sees any person not wearing a seat belt.  The seat belt ticket in Delaware with fine and fees is $86.50 and is issued to the driver no matter who is unbuckled in the vehicle.

Get the facts:

  • Did you know that 45% of all occupant fatalities in Delaware last year were individuals not wearing a seat belt and that fewer than 1/3 of Delaware’s unrestrained fatals occur during the daytime.
  • Wearing a seat belt decreases your risk of being seriously injured or killed in a crash by approximately 50%.
  • Hospital data shows that unbelted occupants in crashes are 3 times more likely to require a hospital stay. On average, hospital costs for an unbelted crash victim are 55% higher than those for a belted crash victim.
  • Strong seat belt laws protect families.  When parents are buckled up, 90% of the time their children are too.

For more information on Click It or Ticket enforcement results and a look at updated campaign materials, please visit www.ohs.delaware.gov, like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe .


Buckle Up. No Excuses.

OHS and Delaware Police Officers continue seat belt enforcement

 Dover –  Did you know that not everyone buckles up when they get into a vehicle? Of the twenty-nine (29) vehicle occupants killed this year in Delaware, 53% were not wearing a seat belt.  That is one of many reasons the Office of Highway Safety along with officers from participating State, County and municipal law enforcement agencies are continuing to enforce Delaware’s seat belt law.  Dedicated overtime patrols start July 21st and run through August 8th.

This high visibility enforcement and public awareness campaign is aimed at saving lives by encouraging more people to wear their seat belts.  Enforcement will take place daily with much of the enforcement occurring in the afternoons and evenings when the majority of unrestrained injury and fatal crashes happen.

Delaware law requires the driver and all passengers, including those in the back seat, to wear a seat belt.  An officer can stop a driver if any person in the vehicle is not wearing a seat belt.  Officers will be operating on a zero tolerance basis during the campaign.  The ticket, which goes to the driver no matter who is unbuckled in the vehicle, totals $83.50.

Enforcement is being accompanied by a statewide public awareness effort in the form of radio, T.V., and internet advertising.

For more information on OHS campaigns and enforcement results, please visit www.ohs.delaware.gov/seatbelts,  follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe or like us on Facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.