Californians Hit New High For Seat Belt Usage

Sacramento, CA — Seat belt usage by California motorists is now at a record high 94.6 percent.

According to an annual survey commissioned by the state Office of Traffic Safety that´s an improvement of more than two percent during the past two years.

CHP Officer Tom Wills adds that the “Click It Or Ticket” program has been highly successful in getting the word out to motorists. O.T.S., through the National Highway Traffice Safety Administration, has provided funding for officer overtime for enforcement efforts and for educational outreach programs to encourage people to always wear their seat belts.

Wills says that even if you´re in an accident a seat belt will eliminate any chance of ejection from the vehicle.

In 2006 the CHP issued 254,328 citations for seat belt violations. Commissioner Mike Brown states that officers will continue to aggressively seek out those holdouts who still don´t get the message.

Written by Bill Johnson