Seat belt enforcement period ends

Drivers were warned, but some still did not buckle up.

The goal of the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety's Click It or Ticket campaign was not to write out a large number of tickets, but rather to help save lives and reduce the injuries through the increased use of seat belts, Winnebago County Sheriff's Capt. John Matz said.

"It's a reminder to people that safety is our utmost concern," Matz said. "And we're giving them a gentle reminder through a seat belt citation or warning, that we're just looking out for their safety."

During the enforcement period, which kicked off May 19 and ended Sunday, the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department issued 94 citations and 66 warnings to drivers. Thirteen of the citations were the $10 variety issued to individuals who were not wearing seat belts, Matz said. The remaining citations were for a variety of other traffic offenses, including speeding, drunken driving, open intoxicants and equipment violations. The warnings were issued for similar traffic offenses.p> The Oshkosh Police Department issued 58 citations to individuals who failed to wear their seat belt, Community Programs Coordinator Dorry Wilner said.

Before the enforcement period, Wilner said the department conducted an observation survey and found 72 percent of drivers were wearing their seat belts. A survey conducted after the enforcement at the same location and time of day found 76 percent of drivers wearing seat belts.

While those numbers are still lower than the national average, which according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is 82 percent, Wilner said the enforcement period was beneficial.

"It was helpful because it gives our officers extra time to be on the road responding to traffic safety," Wilner said. "I think it drew more attention to personal driver safety, that the driver is responsible for putting on their seat belt."