Community Corner

Click-It or Ticket Nets 157 Violations in Southington

Southington police said Wednesday that the annual campaign led to officers issuing over 150 tickets for seatbelt violations, as well as numerous additional infractions and two DUIs found during the effort.

There are quite a few people in the community with thinner wallets these days, but that’s the price they’ve paid for failing to comply with state seatbelt laws.

In a two-week period, Southington Police Sgt. Jeffrey Dobratz said last week that the department issued a total of 157 infractions for failure to wear a seatbelt. The tickets were issued as part of roving patrols and checkpoints set up for the annual Click-It or Ticket campaign.

“The ultimate goal is to get willing compliance,” Lt. Lowell DePalma said following the 2012 campaign. “We aren’t just doing this because it’s the law, but because wearing your belt is the safest thing to do.”

During the enforcement, officers also issued seven tickets for speeding, 79 tickets for other motor vehicle violations and arrested two people on charges of driving under the influence.

“The annual Click it or Ticket mobilization may be over, but that is no excuse to stop using your seatbelt,” Dobratz said. “Our law enforcement officers are out all year long. If you or your passengers are caught not wearing a seat belt at any time, day or night, you will be cited for the safety violation.”

According to the latest preliminary statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 86 percent of passenger vehicle occupants across the nation in 2012 were wearing seat belts—an all-time high rate. 

A post-survey of drivers conducted in Southington showed that 97-percent are wearing their seat belts, one of the highest totals in recent years.

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