Motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts -- beware. The 2013 National Ticket Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization kicks off on May 20 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up themselves or their children.
The Rockville Centre Police Department is joining with other county and state law enforcement officers across the country to help save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws around the clock.
The law states that all front seat occupants regardless of age must wear their seat belts. The driver is responsible for all front seat passengers under age 16. In addition, all rear seat passengers under age 16 and all children under 8 years old must be restrained in a federally approved child safety seat or restraint system that meets the child’s height and weight recommendations according to the child restraint manufacturer.
Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year and with the help of the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board, the Rockville Centre Police Department was able to secure grant funding through the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee to enhance enforcement efforts in Rockville Centre and save lives. NHTSA statistics show that in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2011, of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, 52 percent were NOT wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.
The program will go through June 2. In addition to the Rockville Centre Police Department, the following County and Village police agencies in Nassau County will be participating:
Nassau County, Centre Island, Floral Park, Freeport, Garden City, Glen Cove, Great Neck Estates, Hempstead, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Malverne, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay Cove and Port Washington.
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