The UCF Police Department is joining agencies across the country in a Click It or Ticket seatbelt enforcement going on through May 31.
Citations will be issued to motorists not wearing a seat belt. The campaign is tied with Memorial Day Weekend and the upcoming summer travel season when more road activity causes greater risk.
“UCFPD is part of these waves several times a year, the most recent being Spring Break. With Click It or Ticket we try to target holidays and other times where we know there will be more cars on the road,” said Courtney Gilmartin, UCFPD spokeswoman. “More cars means greater risk for accidents, but if more people are wearing seat belts it improves the chances for fewer fatalities.”
When a person is unbuckled and thrown from a vehicle, the risk of death is five times greater than if the person would have been wearing a seatbelt, according to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles.
In Florida, all passengers in the front seat must wear a seatbelt and passengers under 18 must wear a seat belt. This applies to all cars, pickup trucks and vans operated on Florida roads, according to Florida DMV.
“The high number of people traveling by vehicle increases the odds that you could be involved in a traffic crash. Additionally, people tend to take this holiday as a “start to summer” and may be drinking as part of their celebration,” UCFPD officer Peter Stephens said.
UCFPD said they hope that through targeted enforcement, drivers will make buckling up a habit.
“I was only going around the corner. It cuts across my neck and is uncomfortable. It wrinkles my clothes. I would rather be unbuckled so I can get out quickly if I drive into a lake,” officer Stephens said are common excuses drivers say for not wearing a seatbelt.
Officers will be looking for unbuckled motorists, and seat belt violators will be subject to a $114 non-moving violation in Orange County. If a child is unbuckled, motorists will face 3 points and a $164 fine.
