Police target seatbelt violations
The Waupaca Police Department will participate in the statewide Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement campaign throughout the upcoming months in 2012.
The Waupaca Police Department had two deployments in the month of January and issued a total of 90 citations (78 seat belt violations) and 32 warnings.
In the past two years, Waupaca police have issued a total of 840 seatbelt tickets.
"Our goal is not to write more traffic tickets but to save lives through voluntary compliance with Wisconsin’s mandatory safety belt law," Lt. Geoff Johnson said. "However, if you are stopped by an officer and not wearing your seatbelt, you will be issued a ticket whether you’re driving or just a passenger in a vehicle. Officers won’t accept any excuses or give any warnings."
Johnson said consistent safety belt use is the single most effective protection against being seriously injured during a traffic accident.
"That’s why our department is serious about safety belt enforcement. Buckle up, avoid the ticket, and give yourself a better chance of surviving a serious accident," Johnson said.
The next Click It or Ticket mobilization is scheduled for the week of May 21-27.
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5 Comments for "Police target seatbelt violations"
1) Satisfy the federal government's requirements for taking its grant money.
2) Provide an opportunity to make "arrests of opportunity", when idiots are stupid enough to drive around with pot, guns, or open containers - and not wear their seatbelt.
3) Fill up the WCCA database - so your friends (and enemies) can look you up, at will - for life.
[quote=JOHNSON]Our goal is not to write more traffic tickets but to save lives through voluntary compliance with Wisconsin’s mandatory safety belt law.[/quote]
If you want voluntary compliance, writing these tickets is not going to have any effect.
The ONE thing - that makes people think twice about driving around without a seatbelt on - is the [b]size of the fine on the ticket[/b]. The states with the highest fines ($100-$200) have the highest adherence rates for seatbelt use.
The fine amount here: $10
That doesn't pay for the officer's time, the judge's time, the data processor's time, the computers, the servers, or the paperwork.
Drivers don't care if they get a ticket, because they spend $10 on cigarettes or gasoline every day.
Every time a seatbelt ticket gets written, taxpayers lose about $30. ($40 if you're the ticket recipient).
As much as he hated to, Barney Fife kept his bullet in his pocket.
lastpercentile Jan 27, 2012 3:52 PM
hookster Jan 28, 2012 6:31 PM
Instead, the TV lawyers are reaping a harvest of brain damaged clients (or their widows).
lastpercentile Jan 28, 2012 9:00 PM
FLIP FLOP Jan 30, 2012 3:22 PM
Corky517LaLaLifeGoesOn Jan 31, 2012 12:57 AM