TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Remember to strap on your seat belt this holiday weekend because police will be out in force looking for unbuckled drivers.
Capt. Mark Welch says the Florida Highway Patrol is mobilizing extra troopers to patrol this weekend and they are specifically looking for motorists who are not wearing seat belts.
"We're taking all of our administrative personnel that normally work in offices and suspending their office duties and putting them out on the road. We're using our auxiliary troopers and our reserve officers to make our highways safer."
It's part of the "Click It Or Ticket" campaign that runs from this weekend through June 5th.
Welch says wearing your seat belt is the single most effective way to protect yourself in a crash.
Florida passed a primary seat belt law in 2009, which means officers can pull you over if they see you're unbuckled.
"Since that time we've seen safety belt usage go up. After our last Click It Or Ticket campaign, safety belt usage was up to 87.4 percent. That's great but there's still room for improvement and that's what we're going to be working on," said Welch.
Under Florida law, anyone sitting in the front seat of a vehicle must wear a seat belt and all passengers under 18 must be buckled up no matter where they're sitting.
First Coast News
You Might Be Interested In