Framingham, State Police Increasing 'Click It or Ticket It' Enforcement

Through May 25, the Framingham Police Department will be teaming up with Massachusetts State Police and more than 191 eligible local police departments statewide to promote seat belt usage through increased traffic enforcement.

Framingham will be taking part in the national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization, which is funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division.

“Would you ever ride a roller coaster without the harness on? Of course not. That would be crazy. The same common sense should apply to the huge risk you take when you ride in a motor vehicle without a seat belt on,” said Framingham Chief Ken Ferguson, in a press release.

This is the third traffic enforcement promotion the Framingham Police have announced in the past 50 days.

• Last month, Framingham Police Department and more than 190 other Massachusetts law enforcement agencies began participating in the national “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” campaign.
• Thanks to a $150,000 grant, the Framingham Police department has been more visible and ticketing drivers at the worst intersections in town, too.
  

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2013, there were 21,132 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the United States. 49 percent of the people killed (10,458) were unbelted.

“The number of lives lost is needless,” said Chief Ferguson “Framingham is focusing our enforcement efforts on safety belts to increase usage and save lives.”

NHTSA reports that the national seat belt usage rate is 87%. Massachusetts is lagging behind at 76.6%.

During the five-year period from 2009 to 2013, Massachusetts had a lower rate of restraint use among fatally-injured passenger vehicle occupants than the rest of the nation.

“If we increase our seat belt usage rate, we save lives. It’s plain and simple,” said Chief Ferguson. “Officers will be out in full force issuing citations to anyone traveling without a buckled seat belt or transporting unrestrained children. The goal is not to hand out tickets, but to keep the public safe. Your seat belt is your best defense against impaired, distracted, and aggressive drivers – and against your own mistakes.”