Bismarck announces May Mobilization

Bismarck, ND- 71.5% is Burleigh County's Driver Safety Belt Usage and 86.7% is Passenger Usage, with 67% being males and 80.7% being females. The lowest usage rate is among pickup drivers. Only 55.4% of all Pickup Drivers use Safety Belts. 16,114 traffic crashes occurred in 2002, 84 of them were fatal. What can you do to help solve the problem? Buckle Up, every trip, every time.

From May 19 to June 1, 2003, thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country will be actively enforcing State safety belt laws during the Click It or Ticket/Operation ABC (America Buckles Up Children) Mobilization. And with the proven effectiveness of Click It or Ticket, many States will be using the high visibility enforcement to encourage safety belt use.

The Mobilization continues to target a key at risk group, 18 to 34 year olds, particularly males. The Click It or Ticket/Operation ABC Mobilization for May 2003 also plays a critical role in the effort to keep people safe on our nation's roads and highways.

Safety belt enforcement is not only about writing tickets, but about saving lives. There have been many incidents where an officer issued a citation to someone who wasn't buckled up or didn't have his or her child properly fastened in a child safety seat only to have the person or child survive a serious crash shortly after the ticket was issued.

The Capitol City Coalition For A Safe Community/Safe Communities Program would like to remind everyone about the importance of wearing a safety belt every time you drive or ride in a car. You could get a ticket if you don't buckle up, so save money and your life. Buckle Up, every trip, every time!