Beware Teen Drivers Not Wearing Seatbelts

Teens have the highest fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes than any other age group. There are many reasons, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTsA), one of which is the fact that for high traffic fatalities this age group has lower safety belt usage rates than adults.

In an effort to do its part, the (HPD) will be joining other law enforcement agencies throughout the state for an aggressive youth seat belt mobilization campaign, scheduled to be enforced between March 15 and 31.

The department plans to have extra traffic management officers on patrol during this period to crack down on Hazelwood's seat belt violators and to help reduce roadway fatalities.

Last May, the became one of the 22 jurisdictions statewide to ordinance. The passing of the ordinance changed the city's secondary seat belt violation law to a primary violation law. This means that officers can ticket drivers for not wearing seat belts without having pulled them over for a separate offense first.

Currently, Missouri is a secondary seat belt law state, which means a law enforcement officer can only ticket a car passenger for not wearing a seat belt if the officer has the car pulled over for a separate offense and notices the seat belt violation.

"Local motorists should be prepared for stepped up seat belt enforcement," said Chief of Police Carl Wolf, Hazelwood Police Department, in a statement. "We'll be out there to remind you that seat belts can, and do save lives."

Hazelwood police officers will be stepping up their enforcement of this ordinance during the month of March with emphasis on increasing compliance among young drivers.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation's Traffic and Highway Safety Division, only 67 percent of Missouri teens wore their seat belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle in 2011. That's up one percent from 2010.

Under the Missouri Graduated Drivers' License Law, teens are required to wear their seat belt and its a primary offense, meaning they can be pulled over solely for not wearing their seat belt.

Teens Are At Risk. According to MoDOT and NHTSA:

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds in the United States.
• Forty percent of Missouri teens don't buckle up.
• One in four Missouri traffic crashes involves a young driver.
• Between 2007 and 2009, 304 teens (15-19) were killed in traffic crashes. Of those killed, 72 percent were unbuckled.
• When driver fatality rates are calculated on the basis of estimated annual travel, teen drivers (16 to 19 years old) have a fatality rate that is about four times higher than the fatality rate among drivers 25 through 69 years old.
• Male high school students (18 percent) report that they are more likely to rarely or never use safety belts compared with female high school students (10 percent).