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'Click It Or Ticket' Nets 14,137 Occupant Protection Charges

21 September 2000

'Click It Or Ticket' Nets 14,137 Occupant Protection Charges From Aug. 28 - Sept. 17; GHSP Director Lauds Campaign As One Of The Most Successful In State History

    RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 20 During the course of the fall
"Click It or Ticket" campaign, North Carolina law enforcement once again
demonstrated that they have the dedication and the enthusiasm to make occupant
protection a top priority throughout the state.
    During the course of the three-week campaign, which ran from August 28 -
September 17, officers statewide conducted 2,396 law enforcement activities in
support of North Carolina's seat belt and child passenger safety initiative.
As a result of these activities, law enforcement wrote 12,956 seat belt and
1,181 child passenger safety violations.  The numbers were reported by law
enforcement agencies in each county and compiled by the North Carolina State
Highway Patrol.
    "This is the second time this year that we have challenged law enforcement
to conduct more than 2,000 checkpoints and patrols on behalf of 'Click It or
Ticket,' " said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program.
"Not only do the numbers they have reported make this one of the most
successful campaigns in state history, but it sets a precedent that this high
level of activity can be achieved during every campaign."
    Besides cracking down on seat belt and child passenger safety violators,
officers charged 2,315 with driving while impaired (DWI).  They discovered a
total of 65,871 violations, including 630 drug charges, 47 stolen vehicles,
and 16 fugitives from justice.
    The goal of "Click It or Ticket" is to boost seat belt use in North
Carolina, saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing the massive health-
care costs associated with traffic crashes.  In addition to ticketing
unbuckled drivers, officers are paying particular attention to unrestrained
children.  All children up to age 16 must be buckled up no matter where they
ride in the vehicle.  Children under age 5 and weighing less than 40 pounds
must ride in a child passenger safety seat -- in the back seat, if the vehicle
has an active passenger-side airbag.  Beginning December 1, anyone who fails
to adhere to these laws will get two points on his or her driver's license.


                               Statewide Totals

                       DWI       Occupant Restraint        Traffic Violations
                      Driving                  Child
                      While                  Passenger                Total
       Total         Impaired    Seat Belt     Safety                 Traffic
     Checkpoints    Violations   Violations  Violations   Speeding  Violations
      and Patrols

         819            765         4,331        402         6,665     20,189
    (Aug. 28-Sept. 3)
         871            809         4,759        431         7,761     23,114
    (Sept. 4-10)
         706            741         3,866        348         7,164     19,647
    (Sept. 11-17)

       2,396          2,315        12,956      1,181        21,590     62,950
     (Totals)

                             Criminal Violations
                                                                   Other
    Misdemeanor   Felony                    Stolen                Criminal
       Drug       Drug         Firearm     Vehicles   Fugitives   Violations
    Violations   Violations  Violations   Recovered   Arrested   Not Listed

       189          49            10          14          1          748

       132          51            18          16          8          835

       162          47            20          17          7          612

       483         147            48          47         16        2,195

                    Total
     Total        Traffic &
   Criminal       Criminal
   Violations    Violations

      996          21,185

    1,060          24,174

      865          20,512

    2,921          65,871