Click It Or Ticket campaign to launch in Saugus

SAUGUS – During the month of May, the Saugus Police Department will be teaming up with Massachusetts State Police and more than 133 local police departments state-wide to crack down on motorists who are not buckling up. Saugus will be taking part in the national Click It Or Ticket (CIOT) seat belt enforcement mobilization, which is federally funded through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division.”Memorial Day traditionally kicks off the busy summer driving season,” said Saugus Police Chief Domenic DiMella. “Safety belts and properly installed child safety seats are your best defense against drunk, aggressive and distracted drivers, as well as your own mistakes.” Beginning May 19 through June 1, 2014, law enforcement officials will be out in full force looking for safety belt violators.In Massachusetts in 2012, an estimated 50 lives could have been saved if everyone wore their seat belts. Statistics also show that passenger vehicle occupants are buckling up more during the day but not enough at night. While Massachusetts data is still being compiled, nationally, nighttime drivers are less likely to buckle up compared to daytime drivers. 10,480 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes at night (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) in 2012. Of those killed in nighttime crashes, 55 percent were not wearing seat belts (compared to 41 percent of occupants killed during daytime hours of 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.).As part of the day or night CIOT kickoff, at 6:00 p.m. on May 19, state and local police departments (including Saugus) will join law enforcement agencies across the East Coast in mobilizing the CIOT “Border to Border” Operation, which aims to provide increased seat belt enforcement at state borders, sending a “zero tolerance” message to the public: driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what state, no matter what time.”Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night, when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said DiMella. “We want to make this the safest summer possible. Buckling up is not optional; it’s the difference between life and death in a crash. That’s why we’re out enforcing the law. Click It Or Ticket, every time, day or night.”For more information, please visit www.mass.gov/highwaysafety.