Hickory, KY – Motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware. The Kentucky State Police is joining the 2016 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization beginning May 23, 2016 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.
“As motorists take to the roads to celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend, we want to ensure that everyone arrives at their destination safe and sound,” Captain Janet Barnett, Post 1 Commander said. “We’ll be out in force – day and night – prepared to ticket anyone not wearing a seat belt.”
There were 761 total highway fatalities in Kentucky in 2016, with 690 killed in motor vehicles and 80 of those were killed on motorcycles. Of those 690 fatalities, 51 percent (351) were not wearing a seat belt. Of the 80 motorcycle fatalities, 65 percent (52) were not wearing a helmet.
“There are too many people dying on our roads,” Trooper Michael Robichaud said. “Many of those lives could have been saved with the simple snap of a seat belt, by placing a child in a car seat or booster, or by wearing a helmet.”
Also according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, booster seats lower the risk of injury to children by 60 percent compared to the use of seat belts
alone.
Kentucky’s booster seat law was enhanced in 2015 to increase the height requirement to 57 inches and the age requirement to 8 years old. Children younger than 8 but taller than 57 inches will not have to ride in a booster seat.
Kentucky’s seat belt usage rate increased with the passage of the primary law from 67.2 percent in 2006 to 86.1 percent in 2014. However, that is still below the national usage rate of 87 percent.
So far in 2016, preliminary numbers indicate there have been 151 roadway fatalities – down from 173 compared to the same time last year.