For Release 05/17/07

Beginning May 21 through June 3, the Canton Police Department will be participating in Michigan’s well-known Click it or Ticket safety belt enforcement program.  Extra patrol officers will be on duty, specifically enforcing seatbelt use by drivers and passengers.  Enforcement zones will have signs alerting people of the enforcement action in progress.  The focus of the Click it or Ticket campaign is to increase awareness of, and compliance with, Michigan’s safety belt and child passenger safety laws.  

In Michigan, state law requires:

• All front seat passengers to be buckled up
• All passengers under age 16 to be buckled up, in all    seating positions
• All children under age 4 to be in an approved child safety seat, in all seating positions

Michigan’s safety belt law allows police officers to stop a motorist solely for not wearing a safety belt in the front seat of a vehicle.  Police officers can also stop a motorist if a child age 4 through 15 is not properly restrained no matter where they are riding in a vehicle.  The law also requires all children under the age of 4 to be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat.  

“The goal of the program is to get the word out—seatbelts save lives,” says local Click it or Ticket program coordinator Sergeant Scott Hughesdon.  “By providing strict enforcement of safety belt and child passenger safety laws, we hope to bring awareness to the community,” he adds. 

Several myths and facts surrounding safety belt use (file size 11k) are provided from the State of Michigan.

For more information on the Click it or Ticket enforcement program, contact the Canton Police Department at 734/394-5400.

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