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Summer 2011 Smart, Safe & Sober Newsletter

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Click It or Ticket 2011 Mobilization Photos

Click It or Ticket 2011 Route 60 Blitz Kickoff Photos

Click It or Ticket 2011: Another Successful Mobilization Is On the Books!

by Mary Ann Rayment, Statewide Occupant Protection Coordinator

2011's 'Click It or Ticket' May Mobilization was another success...thanks to all of YOU! While we are still waiting on the "official" seat belt usage rate, the efforts that were shown across Virginia were outstanding!

Ready for some numbers? Well, here you go:

  • More than 500,000 regular hours were worked (Are you tired??)
  • More than 21,000 overtime hours were dedicated to increasing seat belt usage
  • More than 200 law enforcement agencies participated
  • 6,407 seat belt citations were written
  • 1,452 child restraints violations were issued
  • 36,711 speeding summonses were given out
  • 7,469 reckless drivers were cited
  • 1,388 DUI drivers were taken off the road
  • 314 juveniles were cited for underage drinking violations
  • 17 juveniles were arrested under "Zero Tolerance"
  • 317 open containers were "recognized"
  • 1,289 drug arrests were made

For those who say, "Why aren't you out there getting criminals off the street?" — well, you ARE! In addition to the above:

  • 1,893 felony arrests were made
  • 483 fugitives were apprehended
  • 130 weapons were seized
  • 100 stolen vehicles were recovered

All of these and more came to a grand total of 118,272 arrests, citations etc. all within the 14-day enforcement period of 'Click It or Ticket'!! To say that you all did a good job would be an understatement!

On top of all the enforcement work, you also did a terrific job with the media and community outreach. More than 8,000 individual media stories, proclamations, public service announcements, press conferences and more were all over Virginia in addition to the paid media buy that the Virginia Highway Safety Office placed to support your efforts.

While we wait for the "super, scientific official report" from ODU and Dr. Bryan Porter, I feel confident that with the results you produced, there is no way we will not increase our use rate here in Virginia!

Thank you all so very much for everything you do. And even though the May 'Click It or Ticket' is over, please don't end your efforts! Your continued passion to keep our citizens safe will continue to save lives.

Be careful, and remember: buckle up YOU!

Front Royal Police Department

Front Royal Police had special guest to kick off "Click It or Ticket" campaign

Traffic Enforcement Officer Donald Orye of the Front Royal Police Department helped kickoff the CIOT campaign with a special guest, Dr. Elizabeth Baker, Region 3 Director with NHTSA. “Each year, I like to do a media event with a representative from within the realm of traffic safety. I enjoyed having Dr. Baker being a part of this year’s event” Officer Orye states. The event included television interviews from two stations, two newspaper interviews and a 30 minute live news show on WFTR 95.3 FM.

The media event occurred on May 23rd, the first day of the campaign. Front Royal had an 83% pre-survey belt usage rate and a post-survey rate of 89%. “I believe having Dr. Baker taking part in our event helped put the word out that we take seat belt usage and enforcement very serious here in our town” states Chief Richard Furr.

In return, Officer Orye participated in the press conference at the Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington DC on May 26th. The key presenter at this event was Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood who was very adamant about seat belt usage during his press release. Several local and national news outlets were present for this event as well.

During the campaign, FRPD conducted several saturation patrols and traffic checkpoints. The checkpoints proved to be very productive with an estimated total of 900 vehicles screened during an 8 hour period. A total of 51 summonses were issued with 11 being for Driving Suspended, 11 child restraint violations and remaining being for inspection, registration, or equipment violations. There were no arrests made for impaired driving. “We conducted these checkpoints at four different locations for brief periods. I believe drivers are doing the right thing by using a designated driver or having alternative plans for a night of drinking” states Officer Orye.

Fairfax County Police Department

Sobriety Checkpoint Results in Sully Police District

Fairfax County police officers from around the county conducted a sobriety checkpoint to deter and apprehend intoxicated drivers on Friday, May 27 from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. All motorists were stopped and drivers were checked to assure that their abilities to drive had not been impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Approximately 688 motorists passed through the checkpoint in the northbound lanes of Route 29 near the intersection of Bull Run Post Office Road. One arrest was made for DWI; eight summonses were issued for miscellaneous traffic offenses, and two people were charged with minor criminal offenses.

Ten auxiliary officers and eight police officers participated in this operation.


Commercial Vehicle Inspections

On Tuesday, May 24, members of the Motor Carrier Safety Unit for the Fairfax County Police Department were on Lee Jackson Memorial Highway between Route 28 and the county line from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. They stopped and inspected commercial motor vehicles to include truck tractors pulling semitrailers, dump trucks, landscape trucks and trailers, trucks with oversize loads, trash trucks and trucks hauling roll-off containers. They were looking for violations of equipment, driver’s license, registration and weight.

Eighteen vehicles were stopped. A total of 68 violations were discovered and 5 trucks were taken out of service because they were found to be unsafe for road travel.

Tazewell Police Department

As of May 31, 2011, the Tazewell Police Department had the following stats for the CIOT
campaign:

1. Seatbelt Violations: 15
2. Speeding: 7
3. Reckless Driving: 2
4. Other Arrests/Citations: 24

Flora Sinkford & Shawn Hurd placed numerous CIOT signs throughout the Town of Tazewell. They made personal contact with local businesses, and business owners have proudly displayed yard signs, window clings and posters to support law enforcement efforts. The media has cooperated, even coming on scene for a checkpoint to better understand the purpose of CIOT and how it affects the community and state.

Blacksburg Police Department

Seatbelt citations spike as Blacksburg police target enforcement
Click It or Ticket campaign is just the start of a month-by-month safety initiative in Blacksburg

by Karen Kiley, Reporter
WDBJ-7

BLACKSBURG; Va. — It's a $25 fine, if you get caught. And it's a fine more people are paying this year.

Seat belt citations are on the rise in Blacksburg.

As of the end of May, Blacksburg police have issued nearly as many seat belt violations so far this year (191 citations issued), than they did in all of last year (213 citations issued).

Police don't attribute the increase to more people not wearing their seatbelt, but instead to more people getting caught.

May was the national "Click it or Ticket" seat belt campaign. Departments from around the country focused on seat belt safety for the entire month. Blacksburg police issued 57 violations during May alone.

The one-month targeted approach of the Click It or Ticket campaign is now being expanded on by the Blacksburg police department.

Every month Blacksburg officers focus on a different safety initiative.

The target in June is child safety seat violations.

July will focus on "Stop or Be Stopped", an effort to reduce the number of stop sign and traffic light infractions.

August will focus on pre-emptive Driving Under the Influence (DUI) enforcement.

The month-long specific focus on one safety violation, has many people in town thinking the department has increased staff.

"We've made some changes in personnel and scheduling and it's allowed us to place more officers on the street. We're also trying to just emphasize traffic safety each month of the year," said Lt. Steve Taylor with the Blacksburg police department.

The Blacksburg Police Department won third place in the state for the 2010 Virginia Law Enforcement Challenge.

Berryville Police Department

Berryville Police Join “Click It or Ticket” Effort to Increase Seat Belt Use

by Mike Dowling
Clarke Daily News

(May 26, 2011) If you’ve driven through Berryville this week you have seen the signs peppering the roadside announcing, “Click It or Ticket.” The Town of Berryville has joined law enforcement officials across Virginia in the annual two week mobilization event. The high visibility enforcement program is designed to raise safety belt usage in order to prevent injuries and deaths on the streets and highways of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

During the mobilization, law enforcement officials will be cracking down on motorists who fail to obey all traffic laws, including seat belt and child safety seat use.

Statewide the safety belt compliance rate is currently 80.5 percent. Law enforcement officials goal this year is to increase that usage rate to 83.7 percent through the upcoming “Click It or Ticket” enforcement wave.

“Buckling up every one in your vehicle on every ride is a habit every Virginian needs to develop,” said Virginia State Police Superintendent Colonel W. Steven Flaherty. “The fact that 20 percent of the population still insists on putting their lives at risk by not wearing a seat belt is not only disturbing, but a tragedy waiting to happen.”

Crash statistics underscore the importance of wearing safety belts every time you get in a vehicle. While Virginia has seen a steady decline in traffic related fatalities, preliminary data from 2010 indicates that there were still a total of 740 fatalities on Virginia roads. The likelihood of being killed in a crash rises significantly for those who are unrestrained in a vehicle. Data shows that of those fatalities, 314 were not restrained at the time of the crash.

“We need to continue to make the case that seat belts really do work,” said Berryville Police Chief W. Neal White, “We will do that by hitting the roads and enforcing all traffic laws 24/7, no excuses, no warnings, and we will be paying particular attention to seat belt use.”

Berryville Police are also planning a local twist to the statewide campaign called, “Click It For Cones.” Chief White said that they will be partnering with the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office to operate compliance checkpoints on E. Main Street and South Buckmarsh Street. Through a partnership with Tastee Freez, police will be distributing coupons to people that are found to be wearing their seat belts at the checkpoints. The E. Main Street checkpoint will occur this Friday from 1-2 pm and the Buckmarsh detail will be June 3, 2011 from 10-11 AM.

The “Click It or Ticket” program is in effect from May 22 thtough June 6. Buckle up and encourage your loved ones to do the same. You’ll save the cost of a ticket and may even save a life.

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