Police to crack down on seatbelt scofflaws in annual campaign
New York’s annual “Click it or Ticket” campaign enforcing the use of seatbelts starts Monday and runs through June 5.
State Police and local law enforcement agencies will use marked and unmarked vehicles, checkpoints and roving details as part of the campaign to crack down on unrestrained drivers and passengers.
State law has required drivers and front-seat passengers to use seatbelts since 1984. The law was updated to include everyone in passenger vehicles in 2020. Previously, back-seat passengers 16 and older were not required to buckle up. Children must be in childrestraint systems like booster seats until they turn 8 years old, children under 4 must use a safety seat and children under 2 must be in a rear-facing safety seat.
The Albany County Department of Public Works is holding a car seat check event Monday from noon to 3 p.m. at Ogden Mills Head Start in Cohoes. Contact William Van Alstyne at 518-765-2565 for
more information.
According to the University at Albany’s Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research, New York had a 93 percent seatbelt usage rate in 2021, down one percentage point since 2019. No survey was conducted in 2020.
Before the state passed its first seatbelt law, usage was at 16 percent. It jumped to 57 percent immediately after the law’s passage and has climbed steadily since then, peaking at 94 percent in 2019.
Since 2010, usage has been above 90 percent.
Last year, officers wrote 12,573 tickets for seatbelt and child-restraint violations, and 57,259 tickets for other violations, including distracted driving and speeding.
The campaign is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s annual awareness effort about the importance of seatbelts.
Warm weather safety: With the weather heating up, the state Department of Motor Vehicles, Health Department and Office of Children and Family Services are reminding drivers never to leave children, vulnerable adults or pets alone in a vehicle — even if the windows are partially open and the air conditioning is on.
Twenty-three children nationwide died last year after being left in hot cars, according to the NHTSA.
Even in nonblistering temperatures, vehicles can warm up quickly. In the mid-60s, the temperature inside the vehicle can rise to 110 degrees or more.
In addition to making it a habit to check the entirety of the vehicle before locking the doors, safety tips include placing a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat and writing a note or placing a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat.
If you see a child or vulnerable adult alone in a locked car, the DMV advises removing them immediately and calling 911.
In the case of an animal, the Humane Society suggests calling a local animal care and control agency or the police department, and waiting for police at the vehicle.