State police will be out in full force next week looking for drivers who aren't bucked up. It's the latest statewide seat belt enforcement initiative known as "Buckle Up New York." The 14-day awareness campaign will run Monday, November 15th through Sunday, November 28.
"State Police have shown that a properly secured motorist has a greater chance of surviving an accident than one who does not wear a seat belt," said Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael R. Fleischer.
Starting next Monday, state police will setup seat belt checkpoints and patrol the 570-mile stretch of the New York State Thruway to make sure everyone's buckled up.
"It only takes seconds to buckle up," said Troop T Commander Major Robert C. Meyers. "Each year, State Police are called to respond to accident scenes where injuries and fatalities may have been prevented if someone buckled their seat belt. Using seat belts clearly saves lives."
In 2009, State Police issued approximately 18,000 tickets to drivers who weren't wearing their seat belts on the Thruway.
Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear a seat belt at all times. All rear seat passengers under 16 must be buckled up. If they don't, they could face a $50 fine. Children younger than 4-years-old must be buckled into a federally-approved child safety seat. Children younger than 4, but weighing more than 40 pounds, need to be put in a booster seat with a lap/shoulder seat belt. Children 4, 5 and 6 must be restrained in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat. Drivers who don't properly secure their children could be slapped with a $100 fine and receive three points on their license.
