Police will focus on seat belt use

Law enforcement officials in Jamestown have received extra funding from the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration to conduct overtime enforcement with the “Click It or Ticket” Campaign. The public can expect to see the Jamestown Police Department out a lot more May 24 to June 6 as they will focus on ticketing those not wearing seat belts, Officer Jason Prochnow said in a news release.

Sixty-five percent of motor vehicle fatalities on North Dakota roads in 2009 were due to not wearing seat belts. According to the NHSTA, when seat belts are used, they reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans.

In North Dakota, it is the law that everyone in the front seat of a vehicle is required to wear a seat belt. A driver or passenger under the age of 18 can be stopped and cited for not wearing a seat belt. If the driver is 18 or over, he/she can be cited for not wearing a seat belt if stopped for another violation.

Tags: north dakota, law enforcement, seat belts, news