subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sat, Oct 11 2008 

Published: May 14, 2008 09:40 am    print this story   email this story  

Drivers who don’t click it could be in for a ticket

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

Thanks to a Texas Department of Transportation grant, the Mineral Wells Police Department is stepping up their enforcement of seatbelt safety during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.

From May 19 through June 1st, Mineral Wells Police Chief Jerry White said local police officers will patrol the community, focusing on seatbelt violators.

“We’ll be out there for this time frame,” White said. “We will be focusing on seatbelts, not only with drivers but with passengers and children as well.”

This is the fifth year for the MWPD to participate in the “Click it or Ticket” program. According to TxDOT, “thousands of state troopers, police officers and sheriff’s deputies will be on Texas streets and highways … issuing citations to drivers who aren’t buckled up and whose children aren’t properly restrained. This year, law enforcement will also pay attention to front-seat passengers, observed not wearing safety belts.”

To monitor effectiveness, White said the department will conduct a survey of motorists who don’t wear seatbelts this week and a post-evaluation after June 1 to determine if the extra measures impacted people’s seatbelt habits.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute, less than eight of every 10 passengers in pickups buckle up.

“Since pickups are twice as likely as passenger vehicles to roll over in a fatal crash, we worry about the safety of people who don’t take the simple precaution of buckling up when they’re in a truck,” said Carlos Lopez, TxDOT’s traffic operations director. “Wearing a safety belt reduces the risks of dying in a pickup rollover crash by as much as 80 percent.”

The MWPD received an $8,000 grant this year, $3,000 more than last year. White said the grant is a 100 percent reimbursement grant and would allow police officers to work an additional 200 hours during the two-week period.

According to the Mineral Wells court clerk, a ticket for failure to wear a seatbelt costs $162. If a child is unrestrained in a vehicle, the driver can be issued a $175 citation.

“The simple act of buckling up is the easiest, least expensive and most effective way to prevent traffic deaths and injuries,” said Lopez. “It also can keep you from getting a ticket.”

print this story   email this story  




Place a Classified Ad


Find a Home  •  Find a Job


monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premium Jobs

Brock ISD Now Hiring - Cafeteria Help
Full Time Positions Available for Immediate Employment in the Brock School Cafeteria.
Please call: Beverly Mercer 8
...>MORE

Are you 17-21 years old?
Are you
17-21 Years Old?
Texas Workforce
Solutions
for Palo Pinto County
Has a
YOUTH
...>MORE

WIC Clinic Supervisor
Outreach Health Services is hiring a

WIC Clinic Supervisor (full time) for Weatherford WIC Clinic. Supervise
...>MORE

PRODUCTION WORKERS
General
Production Workers Needed:

32-40 HOURS A WEEK
Starting Wages
$7.35 - $11.00/hr
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Auto

See all ads

Premium Homes

See all ads

Premium Garage Sales

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index