N.J. to award $600K in grants for 'Click it or Ticket' enforcement programs statewide
106 N.J. police agencies will share $600,740 for seat-belt patrols and checkpoints during the May 19–June 2 Click It or Ticket crackdown
Photo/Trenton Police Department
By Jeff Goldman
nj.com
TRENTON, N.J. — Police across New Jersey on Monday started their yearly crackdown on drivers who don’t wear seat belts.
The “Click It or Ticket” program started Monday and will run through June 2 with 106 New Jersey law enforcement agencies getting $600,740 in grant money from the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
The money will pay for increased patrols and seat belt checkpoints as state officials aim to increase safety awareness.
Authorities said 117 people killed in crashes in 2023 were not wearing seat belts.
Seat belt usage in New Jersey, once among the highest in the nation, has been gradually declining in recent years, officials said.
“Increasing seat belt use is one of the simplest and most effective ways we can reduce traffic fatalities,” Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement. “This campaign empowers our law enforcement partners to reinforce that message over the next few weeks. But this campaign is about more than just enforcement. It’s about changing behavior and saving lives.”
While nearly 93% of people in the front seats of cars wear seat belts in the state, less than half (48%) of back seat passengers are buckled, officials said in 2023.
Police in New Jersey issued 7,225 seat belt citations, 508 speeding summonses, and 809 cell phone violations during last year’s two-week crackdown.
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