Twp. Police: Wear Your Seatbelt

The are taking part in the annual "Click it or Ticket" campagain that has officers all over the country cracking down on unbuckled motorists.

Starting May 21, motorists should expect to see seat belt check points and saturation patrols, as well as local and national publicity messages to raise awareness on the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The focus of the campaign is on motorists and passengers who refuse to buckle-up.

The two-week initiatve runs through June 3, and the township police are participating in the campaign through a federally funded grant.

According to a statement from the Morris Township Police, New Jersey's front seat belt use has risen for the 15th year in a row up to 94.5 percent, but the ultimate goal is 100 percent. According to NHTSA, in 2010 over 22,000 passengers in vehicles were killed in motor vehicle crashes across the country, and over half of them were not wearing a seatbelt.

Wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to survive a motor vehcile crash, and township police are cracking down to raise awareness of the lifesaving value of wearing one.

Last year, over 419 police agencies in New Jersey participated in the campiagn, and as a result, officers issueed over 32,000 seat belt violations, nearly 6,000 speeding tickets, and made 953 drunk driving arrests.

The police said that they're prepared to ticket anyone unbuckled, with no warnings and no excuses.

The statement reads, "The message is simple, buckle up every time you go out, both day and night."