Princeton Township police plan intensive seat-belt check

By: Rachel Silverman
   The Princeton Township Police Department’s Click It or Ticket program may sound catchy and innocuous, but seat-belt safety is no laughing matter.
   According to township police, there were more than 42,000 motor-vehicle deaths across the country in 2003 — 747 of which were in New Jersey alone. Police estimate that more than half of those killed were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
   Starting May 23, township police will adhere to the nationwide zero-tolerance safety-belt enforcement campaign known as Click It or Ticket. During the period from May 23 to June 5, drivers who are not wearing a seat belt will be issued a ticket.
   New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director Roberto Rodriguez stressed the importance of seat-belt use.
   "High visibility enforcement saves lives," he said. "Our goal is to make sure that all motor-vehicle occupants are properly restrained — on every trip."
   The goal of the program is to increase statewide safety-belt usage rate from its current 82 percent to 84 percent. The program also aims to raise awareness about the life-saving benefits of seat belts.
   Although police report that the rate of seat-belt usage in New Jersey has risen steadily over the past seven years, motor-vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 34 in the United States.