Right Column
Sample Press Release
Day/Date/Year
[[Telephone No.]]
DURING CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN
Police Chief _________________ is warning vehicle drivers and passengers that officers will be issuing tickets to persons not wearing seat belts from May 15 through June 4, 2006 that includes the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. The special enforcement period is a part of the state’s “Click It or Ticket” Campaign.
While officers will be writing tickets, compliance with the law, saving lives and preventing injuries is the goal. The 961 vehicle occupants killed in California crashes in 2004 who did not wear their seat belts had one thing in common: they did not believe it could happen to them!
“What does it take to convince people to buckle up?” is a question to consider, according to Chief __________. “Taking the few seconds to buckle a seat belt is the most effective thing a person can do to save their life.”
Chief ___________ noted that the maximum fine for seat belt violations for persons 16 and older is $91 for a first offense and approximately $193 for a second offense.
California courts are very serious when children under 16 are not properly secured in a vehicle. If cited, drivers may receive one “point count” on their driving record, with a maximum fine for a first offense of $340, which increases to $871 for a second offense. “These amounts pale in comparison to the costs to society for each death or injury that could be prevented by wearing a seat belt,” says Chief _______________.
The 2005 California Seat Belt Use Survey revealed that 92.5% of vehicle occupants wear their seat belts. That leaves 2.7 million people who do not buckle up on California roadways with a strong chance of receiving a seat belt ticket during the three-week campaign.
California ranks 7th nationally in seat belt use. The other six states include: Hawaii, 95.3 percent; Washington, 95.2 percent; Nevada, 94.8 percent; Arizona, 94.2 percent; Oregon, 93.3 percent; Michigan, 92.9 percent.