Those who didn’t click it — their seat belts, that is — were assured of one thing if they were stopped by a Lawrence Township police officer. A ticket.
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Those who didn’t click it — their seat belts, that is — were assured of one thing if they were stopped by a Lawrence Township police officer. A ticket.
Well, 485 tickets, to be exact, during the annual Click It or Ticket campaign, said police Lt. Charles B. Edgar. That’s the number of tickets issued for failing to buckle up during the campaign, which took place between May 20 and June 2.
The Click It or Ticket campaign is a national program intended to raise awareness and to increase compliance with state law that requires all occupants to wear seat belts, including rear-seat passengers. It has been proven that seat belts save lives and reduce the number of injuries in an accident, Lt. Edgar said.
The goal is to obtain 100 percent compliance with the law that requires all occupants of cars and trucks to wear seat belts. Compliance with the law was 88 percent in New Jersey in 2012. Failure to wear a seat belt carries a $46 fine, of which about $33 goes to Lawrence Township and the remainder goes to New Jersey.
”The Lawrence Township Police Department takes pride in taking part in this national enforcement campaign each year,” Lt. Edgar said. “It is in the top 10 police departments in New Jersey in enforcement of the ‘Click It or Ticket’ seat belt law. The rest of the year, the police officers are diligent as well, but they look more keenly during the enforcement campaign.”
The Lawrence Township Police Department issued 419 tickets for seat belt violations in 2012, and 743 in 2011. The officers issued 437 tickets in 2010 and 640 tickets in 2009. They handed out 574 tickets in 2008 and 690 in 2007.
The Click It or Ticket campaign has some additional benefits, Lt. Edgar said. Police officers have issued summonses for other violations, such as failure to properly restrain a child in a car seat. There were five tickets issued for that offense during the 2013 campaign.
The police issued five summonses for speeding, one for driving under the influence, and they picked up 16 motorists who were wanted on warrants issued by other towns. There were two arrests for substance abuse violations.
Police issued 29 summonses to drivers who were operating a car or truck while their driver’s license was suspended, and 12 summonses were handed out to drivers who did not have insurance. One motorist was issued a ticket for reckless driving.
The Lawrence Township Police Department received a $4,000 state grant to cover the overtime costs of the campaign. Police officers on regular patrol also participate in the Click It or Ticket campaign.