Crime
Buckle Up! It’s the Law!
As the Sheriff of Riverside County, I am urging you to wear your seat belt. Over the years, I have seen all too many needless fatalities that could have been avoided by doing something as simple as buckling a seat belt.
Tragically, someone dies every 32 hours in a traffic collision here in Riverside County. It’s even more shocking to learn that last year, more than 1200 of those fatalities were the direct result of the victims not wearing seat belts. Do you want to become a statistic? Think about it, and buckle up... it’s the law.
Understanding the Law
Wearing a seat belt isn’t just a good idea, it’s the law and many states are conducting heightened enforcement of the seat belt laws. Seat belt tickets may mean hefty fines and, in some places, points on your driving record and increased vehicle insurance fees. Every 15 seconds, someone is injured in a traffic crash.
If you’re not buckled up, you could be thrown through a window, sent skidding onto the pavement or be crushed under a vehicle in a crash. Someone is killed in a crash every 13 minutes. However, seat belts save over 11,000 lives each year, and they can help you maintain control of your car in a crash.
Seat Belt Facts & Tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Resources include:
- Car Seats, Boosters and Seat Belt Safety
- Child Safety
- Auto Safety and the Importance of Child Safety Seats
- Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Buckling Up
- Top Five Things you Should Know About Seat Belts
Click It or Ticket
National Click It or Ticket Campaign
Click It or Ticket (CIOT) is the most successful seat belt enforcement campaign ever, helping create the highest national seat belt usage rate of 84%. Coast to coast, day or night, the message is simple - Click It or Ticket.
If you’re planning to hit the road for a late spring or early summer getaway, be sure that everyone in the car wears their seat belt on every trip, day and night. Law enforcement throughout the state, including the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office will be looking for unbelted drivers and passengers as part of the 2010 Click It or Ticket mobilization, May 24 through June 6. This year, fines and fees have increased from $132 to $142 for first time adult seat belt violations. For children under 16, the fine is now $445 for a first time offense.