Click it or Ticket in Wilton Lasts till June 3

Since May 21 and continuing through June 3, The is participating in the national “Click it or Ticket” campaign aimed to dissuade people from not wearing their seat belts while driving. Police will be surveying vehicles and looking for drivers and front seat passengers not wearing seat belts; they will also be looking for hand-held cell phone use or other distracted driving violations which warrant a pull-over and a possible ticket.  

From Jan 2011 to May 2012, police issued 91 infractions for persons using a cell phone while driving, according to Captain John Lynch of the Wilton Police Department. Lynch did not have the data for the number of warnings that were issued.

Unlike last year, Lynch said that there would likely be no DUI stop in Wilton for this Memorial Day weekend or during this year’s campaign.

During last year’s November campaign, Wilton Police issued a total of 203 traffic stops with 91 infractions and 84 warnings issued for seat belt violations (25 infractions), speeding (15 infractions, 15 warnings), and unspecified traffic violations (44 infractions, 69 warnings). There were two non-traffic related criminal arrests and five DUI arrests under the program, which lasted from Nov. 14 through Nov. 27 of 2011.

Connecticut’s Safety Belt Law requires the following:

1. All drivers and front seat passengers to wear a safety belt.
2. If the operator of such vehicle is under 18 years of age, all occupants shall wear such seat safety belt.  
3. All passengers in a vehicle under 16 years of age must be secured.
4. The driver is responsible for any passenger under 16 years of age.
5. Any infant under the age of 1 or weighing less than 20 pounds to be secured in a rear facing child restraint system.  
6. Children must be in a child restraint system, such as a car seat with internal harness or booster seat, until the child is both over 6 years old and over 60 pounds.  
7. Children who ride in a booster seat must use a lap and shoulder belt.

Failure to use a hands-free device can result in a fine of $125 for the first offense, $250 for the second offense, and $400 for all subsequent offenses, according to the Wilton Police Department.