YULEE, Fla. – Motorists beware: Click it or Ticket is here. The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office will join local and national law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates across the country for the national Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement campaign that kicks off May 20 and ends June 2, 2013. During the mobilization, officers will help save lives by cracking down on those who do not buckle up.
“While Florida reached a record high last year for safety belt use, we still see many drivers and passengers who fail to buckle up. All too often it ends in tragedy,” said Sheriff Bill Leeper. “One of our goals is to save lives through education and enforcement campaigns such as Click it or Ticket.”
Safety belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year and NCSO is helping to spread the word in Florida. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 25% of all Florida traffic fatalities in 2011 were a result of occupants not wearing their seatbelts. Research shows that lap/shoulder belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury.
Florida is a primary seatbelt enforcement state, meaning you can be stopped simply for not wearing your seatbelt. Florida law requires all drivers and occupants in the front seat of a vehicle to fasten their safety belts. Occupants under the age of 18, regardless of where they sit in a vehicle, also must buckle up. Motorist cited for failure to buckle up face a non-moving violation. The fine for a seatbelt violation in Nassau County is $101.00 and $151.00 for a child seat violation. “Save your money and save a life!” added Leeper.
