Westminster Police Crack Down on Seatbelt Law Violators

The Westminster Police Department is participating in the 2013 National Click It or Ticket seatbelt enforcement mobilization, May 13-27.  During the initiative, police say officers will be cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seatbelts – both day and night.

Maryland law requires that every driver and front seat passenger next to a door in a vehicle must wear a seatbelt, regardless of age and anyone under the age of 16 must wear a seatbelt regardless of where they are sitting in the vehicle, according to choosesafetyforlife.com. 

Nighttime enforcement has become a priority for the campaign, according to a news release.

Of those who died in nighttime crashes in 2009, nearly two-thirds were not wearing seatbelts.  In 2009, 11,593 passenger vehicle occupants died in motor vehicle crashes nationwide between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

“Many more nighttime traffic deaths can be prevented if more motorists simply start wearing their seatbelts," said Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding. “We will be out in force to remind drivers and occupants to always wear their seatbelts – both day and night.”

High-visibility enforcement such as the Click It or Ticket mobilization is credited with increasing the national belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to an observed usage rate of 85 percent in 2010, according to a news release.  

Westminster's observed usage rate was 90.6 percent, police report. 

According to Spaulding, over the past three years (2010 to 2012) the Westminster Police Department has averaged about 440 citations per year during the program.  

So who isn't wearing their seatbelt? Spaulding said that violators tend to be young white males and individuals driving pick up trucks. 

“Law enforcement will be cracking down on Click It or Ticket violators around the clock," Spaulding said. "If law enforcement finds you on the road unbuckled anytime or anywhere, you can expect to get a ticket — not a warning. No excuses and no exceptions."