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Sarasota Police Department Seat Belt Campaign

SPD Florida Seat Belt Campaign, “Click It Or Ticket”

| Genevieve Judge |

The Suncoast Post is happy to relay this important information from the Sarasota Police Department (SPD).

The Sarasota Police Department (SPD) wants to remind all drivers and passengers in vehicles the importance of seat belt use. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers are still traveling throughout the City of Sarasota and Sarasota Police officers want everyone to buckle up.

The Sarasota Police Department is joining law enforcement agencies from around the state and country who are partnering together for the Click It or Ticket campaign. The annual campaign is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort that runs from May 18-31, 2020.

NHTSA stats

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2018, there were 9,778 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 56 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m., were not wearing their seat belts. That is why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In the City of Sarasota, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is a $116 citation.

“During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the seat belt safety message gets out to all drivers and passengers,” said Sergeant Anthony Frangioni, Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit. “By far, buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life and devastating injuries that could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt. That’s why buckling up is more than just a good idea—it’s the law.”

Editor’s Note: Genevieve Judge wrote a story earlier this year.

Photo from FDOT.

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