Paramus Police Will Crack Down on Unbuckled Motorists This Month

Paramus Police Department will crack down on unbuckled motorists and passengers as part of the national "Click it or Ticket" campaign from May 20 until June 2, Acting Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg announced this week.

The campaign is part of an annual initiative which includes high visibility law enforcement seat belt checkpoints and saturation patrols, as well as local and national publicity designed to ensure that drivers and passengers recognize the life-saving value of seat belts.

“Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a driver and his or her passengers to protect themselves when traveling,” said Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety in a statement this week. "In 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide.”

Last year, the front seat belt usage rate in New Jersey declined for the first time in 15 years, to 88.29 percent. The goal for this year's campaign is to move the usage rate above 90 percent.

 “To meet our goal, we must continue both enforcement and public outreach efforts that educate all motor vehicle occupants about the importance of buckling up, every ride,” he said.

The campaign will also focus on rear seat passengers. Despite laws requiring adult back seat passengers to buckle up, adult back seat belt use stands at only 36 percent, according to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety,

During the 2012 “Click it or Ticket” campaign, 425 police agencies participated in the two-week initiative. As a result of the effort, law enforcement officers issued 29,307 seat belt citations, 4,951 speeding summonses and made 861 drunk driving arrests.