The enforcement plan includes the Arkansas State Police and local departments represented by the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police and the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association.
The special operation began May 20th and continues through June 2nd as part of the ‘Click It or Ticket’ seat belt enforcement campaign. “As part of a national effort, officers will be out in force across the state to remind motorists that seat belt use is not optional,” said Colonel Bill Bryant, director of the Arkansas State Police and the governor’s highway safety representative.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,076 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed during 2017 in U.S. motor vehicle crashes. In that same year, 55 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night between 6 p.m.–5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts. Participating law enforcement agencies will not accept any excuses when they stop a violator.
Arkansas state law requires all front seat passengers, not just drivers, to buckle-up. All children, less than fifteen years of age must be properly secured in the vehicle. A child who is less than six years of age and who weighs less than sixty pounds shall be restrained in a child passenger safety seat. If the driver has a restricted license, all passengers in the vehicle must be properly buckled up.
For more information about “Click it or Ticket” and how seat belts save lives, contact the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at 501-618-8133. Information about Arkansas’ ongoing “Toward Zero Deaths” campaign can be found at www.TZDarkansas.org.
