Stamford, Darien PDs to Increase 'Click It or Ticket' Checkpoints

The Stamford and Darien Police departments announced Thursday they would be participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Click It or Ticket Day & Night" and kick off the event Monday night with heightened seatbelt enforcement.

Beginning Monday, Dec. 3, the departments will kick off "Wave 43," their name for the increased enforcement push, and continue the efforts until Dec. 16.

The two departments will work together with a primary focus on the Route 1 border between Stamford and Darien from 7 to 11 a.m. Monday. There will be additional checkpoints and increased patrol emphasis day and night throughout the two week campaign to spread the message that ”Seatbelts save lives.”

Update 11:01 a.m. Saturday:

The Darien Police Department issued this news release about the "Click It or Ticket" program:

The national "Click It or Ticket" enforcement wave will be taking place from Dec. 3 to 16. The Darien Police Department will be joining with hundreds of other law enforcement agencies across the country in renewing a pledge to save lives by intensifying efforts to enforce seatbelt laws among all motorists.

The current fine for adults who are not wearing a seatbelt while traveling in a vehicle is $92. All front seat passengers are required to wear seatbelts while traveling. 

Passengers over 18 years old who are sitting in the rear seat of a vehicle are not required to wear a seatbelt unless the operator is under 18 years old. 

All passengers under 18 years old are required to wear seatbelts, even passengers who are sitting in the rear seat of a vehicle;  the current seatbelt fine for persons 16 years old and less than 18 years old is $120. 

An operator transporting any passengers who are under 16 years old is responsible for ensuring that their passengers are properly seat belted, and it would be the operator who is cited for any of these seatbelt violations. 

Connecticut State law also requires that children under 1 year old and less than 20lbs. must be secured in a rear facing child safety seat, this violation carries a $92 fine. 

Passengers over 1 year old, less than 7 years old, and weigh less than 60lbs are required to be secured in a child safety seat or booster seat; this violation carries a $92 fine. Once a child is over 7 years old and weighs more 60lbs, that child could be seat belted in a regular passenger seat.

The No. 1 cause of death for children and teens in the United States is traffic crashes!  Statistics show an average of 1 fatality every 14 minutes and 1 injury every 13 seconds due to car crashes in this country. 

Statistics also show that vehicle passengers have a 77 percent chance of surviving a fatal car crash if they are properly seat belted.  The current seatbelt usage rate in the State of Connecticut is 88 percent; the national average for seatbelt usage is 84 percent.

Buckle Up, the life that is saved may be yours, or your child's!