'Border To Border' Seat Belt Patrol Conducted In Harford County

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — People are 90 times more likely to die when thrown from a car crash if they are not buckled up, according to Sgt. Gerald Eaton of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

Drivers in Harford and Baltimore counties had another reason to wear their seat belts Monday, May 23. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Police Department were conducting an initiative called "Border to Border," where they were on the lookout for people who were not properly buckled.

Due to a “significant number” of fatal crashes in areas between the two counties, Eaton said that law enforcement from both jurisdictions would be posted near the border for a distracted driving and seat belt compliance initiative. Representatives from the Maryland Highway Safety Office and Maryland State Police were also participating.

Not wearing a seat belt is a primary offense in Maryland, meaning officers can pull people over if they are not wearing them or if their passengers are unrestrained. Not wearing a seat belt can result in an $83 ticket.

Buckling up is “the easiest thing you could do to save [and] $83 your life,” Eaton said in an interview with Patch on Friday.

Nationally, about 90.4 percent of people wear seat belts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“We do seat belt surveys from time to time throughout the county, and the state average is around 90 percent. Harford County was just below that — 87 percent,” Erik Robey, director of legislative affairs for the Harford County Sheriff's Office, told the Harford County Council at a meeting earlier this month. “At the end of this month, we'll be doing a big seat belt operation,” he advised, announcing the "Border to Border" initiative.

So far this year, Harford County has seen six traffic fatalities, including five on state roads, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

In 2021, Harford County had nine traffic fatalities, according to Robey, who said more than one-third of those who died were not wearing seat belts.

Border to Border was the first of two special details this week to promote safe driving habits. This Friday, a DUI checkpoint is planned in Harford County as well. Grant funding has been provided for both details, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

See Also: Harford County Plans Sobriety Checkpoint For Memorial Day Weekend 2022