Florida Police Gear Up for Memorial Day Weekend with ‘Click It or Ticket’ Campaign
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), in conjunction with law enforcement officers nationwide, is cracking down on driver’s who don’t buckle up. The annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), began May 21 in Florida and will end on June 3.
FHP and local police will be extra watchful during the busy upcoming Memorial Day weekend. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is projecting that some 34.8 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend — a 1.2 % increase over last year.
The fact that seat belt use saves lives is undisputed. The NHTSA estimates that safety belts saved 12,546 lives nationwide in 2010.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, seat belt usage is at an all-time high in Florida. It’s been estimated that 88 percent of all Floridians are now buckling up.
Many law enforcement officials cite the primary seat belt law, which took effect in 2009 for the increase. The law allows police to pull over motorists who are not wearing seat belts.
Under current Florida law, occupants in the front seat of a vehicle must wear safety belts and any child under age 18, regardless of where they are in the vehicle, is required to wear a seat belt.
The personal injury attorneys in Tallahassee at Farah & Farah urge everybody to wear safety belts when traveling in their vehicles this Memorial Day weekend. They save lives. We also ask that wherever you go this holiday weekend, that you drive safely, don’t speed, be sober on the road, and get home alive.
By Eddie Farah
