Click It or Ticket campaign results

Local police departments issued their Click It or Ticket campaign results.

The Jasper Police Department reported they issued 102 citations and made five arrests during the 24-day campaign. Additionally, the Jasper Police Department worked 60 hours of overtime and made 184 traffic stops, issued 131 written warnings.

The arrests were for operating while intoxicated, competing in a speed contest and reckless driving and unlawful possession of a syringe.

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department reported issuing 15 citations and 41 warnings.

More than 230 Indiana law-enforcement agencies joined thousands across the nation to enforce seat-belt laws in cars and trucks, for both children and adults, in the front seat and back, both day and night. The overtime, high-visibility traffic patrols were supported with federal traffic-safety funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).

While many TV shows focus on violent-crime investigations, first responders actually see more traffic crashes. You are more likely to have a property damage crash and be injured or killed in a traffic crash than be a victim of burglary, violent crime or murder, respectively.

“Enforcement of traffic laws intends to prevent the crashes, injuries and deaths that impact our community,” said Assistant Chief Aaron Persohn.

“With the summer travel season fully underway, police urge motorists to buckle up – every trip, every time – and to use a sober driver,” added Tim Lampert from the sheriff’s department.

From 2000 to 2017, the Purdue University Center for Road Safety says that seat-belt usage increased from 62 to 93 percent, beating the most recent national average of 90.1 percent. Indiana has made great progress through stronger laws and highly-visible enforcement, but the small percentage who still don’t buckle up make up nearly half of those killed on our roadways. In 2016, there were 10,428 unbuckled motorists killed in crashes in the United States.

Seat belts were estimated to save an additional 14,668 lives. Pickup trucks and SUVs feel safer because they are larger and sit higher to the road. But don’t let that lure you into a false sense of security! Motorists in pickup trucks are over-represented in unrestrained injuries and deaths. ICJI partners with the Indiana University Public Policy Institute to analyze seat-belt statistics.

The latest information is at http://www.in.gov/cji/files/Highway_Safety_Occupant_Protection_2016.pdf. National statistics are at http://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts.