Seat belt education planned for state

May 19 to June 1, law enforcement officers throughout the state will be stepping up enforcement and education of the state's Primary seat belt law - as a part of the "Click it of Ticket" campaign.

The goal of the program is to increase the statewide seat belt usage rate to 93 percent. Last year, the seat belt usage rate in the state rose for the 11th consecutive year.

Last year, there were 716 motor vehicle fatalities in the state, a large percentage of which were not wearing a seat belt.

Seat belts use saves lives and prevents injuries. Between 1975 and 2000, seat belts prevented 135,000 fatalities and 3.8 million injuries nationwide, saving $585 billion in medical and other costs.

Seat belt use is especially important for teens and young adults. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 15 to 34 in United States.

During the mobilization period from May 19 to June 1, local police agencies will conduct a zero tolerance seat belt enforcement campaign. Motorists who are not buckled up will be issued a ticket. In addition concerned efforts are going on locally and statewide to raise awareness about the importance and life-saving benefits of seat belts.

"High visibility enforcement saves lives," said Pamela Fischer, director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Tickets are a strong deterrent and the results are meaningful fewer deaths on our roads."