November 17, 2003

Following a successful pilot program last summer, safety belt enforcement zones are being rolled out in 13 new locations, expanding the effort from eight to 20 counties as Michigan launches its latest Buckle Up or Pay Up, Click It or Ticket mobilization. The expanded effort, designed to make enforcement more visible, will nearly double the number of enforcement zones that took place during the pilot program in May.

Together, the 20 counties plan to conduct approximately 217 zones over the two-week period. In May, 130 enforcement zones were conducted in pilot areas. A day-to-day listing of enforcement zones as well as results will be posted at www.michigan.gov/ohsp.

Today starts a two-week national safety belt mobilization that runs through Nov. 30. Nearly 500 Michigan law enforcement agencies at the local, county and state level will join thousands of agencies across the country who are making safety belt enforcement a priority.

"Following the enforcement zones pilot program in May, safety belt use reached an all-time high in Michigan and fatalities over Memorial Day weekend were at an all-time low," said Colonel Tadarial J. Sturdivant, director of the Michigan Department of State Police. "With the expansion of this concept we hope to build on this success and set new records for safety on our roads."

Since the rollout of safety belt enforcement zones in May, belt use has increased to nearly 85 percent -- the highest rate since the primary safety belt law was adopted in 2000.

Safety belt enforcement zones will be strategically located in populous areas where crash problems are prevalent or belt use is low. Special, portable "safety belt enforcement zone" signs will alert motorists they are entering an enforcement area, which will run from four to six hours. One officer will serve as a spotter who will radio unbelted motorist information to nearby marked patrol cars who will pull over offending motorists. Similar programs have been run in the past to detect speeding motorists and construction zone violators.

Zones debuted in metro Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Bay City, Traverse City and Schoolcraft County in the early summer. The enforcement tactic will now include: Berrien, Calhoun, Delta, Genesee, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Livingston, Monroe, Muskegon, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties.

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) is coordinating the mobilization, providing federal traffic safety funds to boost patrols in selected areas and funding paid advertising to ensure widespread awareness of the program. In the current fiscal year, OHSP will provide nearly $2 million in federal money to law enforcement agencies for overtime patrols and another $1.5 million in paid advertising during mobilization periods.

Zones are scheduled today in 15 counties.

Michigan’s mandatory safety belt law requires the driver and front seat passengers to be buckled up. Children under age 4 must be in an approved child safety seat. And, passengers up to and including age 15 must be buckled up, in front or rear seating positions.

In addition, drivers or passengers who have a shoulder harness placed under their arm or behind their back can be ticketed for failure to properly buckle up.

EDITORS: For an up-to-date listing of enforcement zone dates and locations, visit the OHSP website at www.michigan.gov/ohsp. Click on the Buckle Up or Pay Up logo.