The East Ridge Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office for its annual Seat belts Are For Everyone (SAFE) campaign.
This statewide initiative is designed to increase seat belt and child passenger safety restraint usage through the implementation of occupant-protection programs, public events and checkpoints throughout local communities. The SAFE campaign begins Feb. 1 and ends Aug. 1.
Last year, the SAFE campaign yielded 1,182 child restraint violations, 13,165 seat belt citations and 305 other seat belt enforcement activities in Tennessee.
“In 2017, Tennessee’s average seat belt usage rate was 88.51 percent,” says THSO Director Vic Donoho. “Last year, the usage rate was 88.77 percent. Through increased education, enforcement and community involvement, we’re aiming for 100 percent.”
This year, participating agencies will pay particular attention to nighttime seat belt enforcement. Tennessee has seen a disproportionate percentage of unrestrained fatalities between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.
Historically, approximately 50 percent of Tennessee’s traffic fatalities are unbelted. That percentage increases to nearly 60 when nighttime crashes are examined.
Source: East Ridge Police Department