Additional Information Contact:
ASP Highway Safety Office – Ann Whitehead
(501) 618-8133 – ann.whitehead@asp.arkansas.gov
As the summer travel season begins, so does a two-week long enforcement effort by Arkansas State Police and other law enforcement officers who will be on the lookout for violators of the Arkansas primary seat belt and child passenger safety laws.
Beginning May 19th and continuing through June 1st state and local law enforcement agencies in Arkansas will participate in a nationwide Click It or Ticket mobilization.
As people take to the roads to celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement officials across the nation will be working to ensure that everyone buckles up.
“Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off of summer vacation season,” said Colonel Stan Witt, Director of the Arkansas State Police. “While patrolling the highways enforcing state traffic laws, State Troopers will be watching carefully for anyone violating safety belt laws.”
According to new data released from the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities were up nationwide in 2012 for the first time in five years with more than 10,000 people killed not wearing their seat belts. The same data also indicates that more than sixty percent of the passenger vehicle occupants died in crashes occurring at night between the hours of 6 PM – 5:59 AM and the victims were not wearing seat belts.
In Arkansas, 226 unbelted vehicle occupants died in 2012. Many of those deaths could have been prevented if occupant restraints had been used.
“There are too many people dying on our roadways, and many of those deaths could have been prevented if people had taken the simple step of wearing their seat belts,” said Colonel Witt.” “We are determined to help bring these numbers down and that’s why we will be handing out tickets, not only during these mobilizations, but anytime a violation is seen, year round.”
For more information on Click It or Ticket, visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov or contact the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at (501) 618-8136. For more on the ongoing Toward Zero Deaths campaign, visit www.TZDarkansas.org