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The Sikeston Department of Public Safety will join the Missouri Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Division in their efforts to crack down on seatbelt violators Wednesday. This "Occupant Protection Enforcement Day" is much like a one-day "Click It or Ticket" campaign, said Sgt. Jim McMillen, DPS public information officer.
"Although our department routinely enforces seatbelt usage, we will be extra vigilant on November 18," said McMillen. "Our goal is to help keep you safe and reduce highway fatalities in our area.'
According to DPS, hundreds of people are killed on Missouri roadways each year because they simply don't take the time to buckle up. The national seatbelt usage rate is about 83 percent. However, only around 76 percent of Missourians wear their seatbelt regularly.
Nearly one in four Missourians are still choosing not to wear this life saving device, according to statistics. Some of the most common offenders are young males, pickup truck drivers and their passengers, people who live in rural areas, and nighttime drivers.
In 2007, a driver in a Missouri traffic crash had a 1 in 32 chance of being killed if they were not wearing a seatbelt. In contrast, the odds of being killed are 1 in 1,294 if a seat belt is worn.
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thanks for the heads up! i will make sure that i tell everyone i know!
Wonder what they would do with me?
I am under doctor's orders NOT to wear a seatbelt!
I drive a pickup with 12,000 lb plates and the law does not require me to buckle up in it. I also think the law says I have to be pulled over for another traffic violation to get a seat belt ticket and then the max. fine is 10.00 with no court costs for the seat belt ticket and no points. I would drag it out in court for so long they would lose money on it. Do something else besides stop people for not having a seat belt on. Crack down on speeders, red light runners and stop sign runners. They are the cause of most accidents.
about 3 years ago i was going north on the interstate and i got pulled over for nothing and got 4 tickets because i had young kids in the car that was not buckled up as well as i wasn't either. i ask him i heard you can't pull someone over if they are not doing nothing, he said highway patrol can if their is children in the car that are not buckled up but the city can't unless you are doing something .
about 3 years ago i was going north on the interstate and i got pulled over for nothing and got 4 tickets because i had young kids in the car that was not buckled up as well as i wasn't either. i ask him i heard you can't pull someone over if they are not doing nothing, he said highway patrol can if their is children in the car that are not buckled up but the city can't unless you are doing something .
I disagree casey. It's called endangering the welfare of a child. You should get a ticket, or four.
Yeah all I can say is anybody willing to have kids in the car without having them properly restrained should get a ticket for each child not buckled up and also a ticket issued to the driver for being an idiot. If you as an adult choose not to buckle up and risk serious injury in a crash that is your decision but putting a child in that situation is just ridiculous.