(Cushing) – For anyone who complains about getting a ticket for not buckling up when driving or riding in a motor vehicle, here is a crash course in reality from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
· 41,059 people were killed on America’s roadways in 2007.
· Over 14,000 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2007 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash.
· In 2007, nearly 2.5 million people were injured in crashes.
· Motor vehicle crashes cost the U.S. economy an estimated $230.6 billion every single year.
While those may sound like just statistics, those of us at the Cushing Police Department know from personal experience that those numbers are the actual faces of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles and friends right here in Cushing. We tell too many families about losses that may have been prevented had a loved one only worn a seat belt.
This goes to the heart of the Cushing Police Department’s mission to protect the public. That is why we have joined with thousands of other state and local law enforcement and highway safety agencies nationwide to announce support for the 2009 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization, which this year runs May 18-31.
In addition, the Cushing Police Department will be conducting an occupant safety checkpoint next Wednesday, May 20, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., near the intersection of Little Avenue and Pine Street. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Payne County Sheriff’s Department will also be participating in the occupant safety checkpoint.
The good news is that we have seen unprecedented numbers of motorists buckling up over the past several years. Seat belts can be credited with saving more than 15,000 lives in 2007 alone. Thanks in part to high-visibility enforcement campaigns like Click It or Ticket, this has led to an all-time high observed national seat belt usage rate of 83 percent in 2008—a 25-percent increase over the past 14 years. But the tragic reality is that in our community there are still far too many people who are convinced that they don’t need seat belts.
People often ask, “Aren’t there more serious criminals on the street other than those who simply are not buckling up? They’re not hurting anyone but themselves.”
To the contrary, the people who choose to disobey the law by not wearing their seat belts are taking a chance with not only their lives, but also the emotional and financial health of their families, friends, and our community.
Death may be the ultimate consequence for not wearing a seat belt, but even for those who escape a fatal crash; the economic costs of injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes are staggering. Every year motor vehicle crashes cost our country an estimated $230.6 billion. That equals more than $800 per person per year!
Yes, this is a national problem, but law enforcement and first responders see the local faces at too many crash scenes. So, it begins right here in Cushing. Law enforcement will be out in force to show our dedication to solving this problem. We want 100 percent of motorists to buckle up. Buckling up costs you nothing, but the costs of NOT buckling up may be a ticket, or worse — your life. Treat this as a tough and potentially life-saving reminder: Click It or Ticket!
