N.J”s Annual Enforcement Campaign Started Targeting Seat Belt Tickets

JERSEY CITY, NJ- New Jersey’s annual “Click It or Ticket It” enforcement campaign starts Monday with 128 law enforcement agencies getting more than $548,000 in grants to pay for overtime shifts targeting seat belt tickets.
The targeted enforcement runs from May 20 to June 2, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic safety said.

“Not only are tickets issued to unbelted motorists, but the surrounding publicity ensures that people know they are more likely to get a ticket,” the state’s Division of Highway Traffic Safety said in announcing this year’s program.
The enforcement is in place to get the small percentage of motorists who don’t buckle up to do so, officials say.

Statewide, 128 departments will receive $548,320 in grant money. The maximum grant was $5,500. Other police department are expected take part but will not receive money to cover expenses such as advertising and overtime. Departments in 19 counties are getting funding – only Warren and Salem are not represented.

Last year, cops from 357 different departments handed out 19,659 seat belt citations during the two-week campaign, up from 17,792 in 2017.
Seventeen police departments issued more than 150 seat belt summonses each. Police officers also made 661 drunk driving arrests while pulling over people for seat belt violations. They wrote 534 child restraint and 4,437 speeding citations.
Officials estimated seat belt use among New Jerseyans at 94.47%, up from 94.07% the previous year. It’s the highest use recorded.