Area law enforcement agencies are reminding area residents to buckle up this Memorial Day weekend.
Several area agencies are participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration‘s annual Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort, which runs now through June 4. The campaign aims to increase seatbelt use with traffic safety checkpoints and saturation patrols.
The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety says of the 512 vehicle occupants that were killed in roadway deaths across the commonwealth last year, 268 were either not wearing a seatbelt or were not properly restrained in a car seat or a booster seat. Seven of the 512 killed were children aged nine or younger.
The NHTSA says that when worn correctly seatbelts reduce the risk of death for front seat vehicle passengers by 45 percent, and for pickup truck, SUV, and minivan occupants by 60 percent. Properly-secured child or booster seats reduce the risk of death for infants by 71 percent and for toddlers by 54 percent.
More information can be found at nhtsa.gov.
