Maine law enforcement started Click It or Ticket, a two-week safety campaign, on Monday, May 22, to beef up enforcement of the state’s seat belt laws.
“As we kick-off the busy summer driving season, it is critical that everyone buckles up, day and night – no excuses,” said Colonel Robert Williams, chief of the Maine State Police. “Troopers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt, including drivers who have neglected to buckle their children.”
At 4 p.m. on May 22, Maine police officers will join law enforcement agencies across half of the United States in mobilizing the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) “Border to Border” operation, designed to provide increased seat belt enforcement at state borders including on Maine’s Route 1 from Brunswick to Rockland, Route 2 from New Hampshire to Pittsfield, and Route 3 from Augusta to Belfast.
The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety provided $313,403 to 45 Maine police agencies to pay for overtime to participate in the two week effort.
“Seat belts save dozens of Maine lives every year, but some motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is greater,” said Lauren Stewart, cirector of the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety. “ Buckling up is not optional; it’s the difference between life and death in a crash. That’s why law enforcement is out there enforcing the law.”
Stewart said although seat belt usage in Maine is very high, the numbers from fatal crashes during the past year is another story — 42 percent of those killed during the day were unbelted and 65 percent during nighttime fatal crashes.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 9,874 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2015 were not wearing their seat belts.
Click It or Ticket runs until June 4.
Aroostook County police agencies taking part in the Click It or Ticket are the Caribou, Fort Kent, Houlton and Presque Isle police departments.
