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As part of the Fall 2007 " Click It or Ticket" Mobilization, the Massachusetts State Police are encouraging safer driving and increased safety belt use during the Thanksgiving Holiday. A "Click It or Ticket" media event took place today at State Police General Headquarters in Framingham.
Coordinated in Massachusetts by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Fall 2007 " Click It or Ticket" Mobilization runs from November 14-28, 2007. For this mobilization, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security has allocated $350,000 in federal highway safety funds, $175,000 of which was allocated to the Massachusetts State Police for additional enforcement activities. The balance of the funds will be used for public information highlighting the additional state and local police enforcement during the mobilization.
Sheila Burgess Director of Highway Safety in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, stated "We can't stress enough how important it is for everyone to obey the law and buckle up, no matter what your age. It is one simple task that could save you from serious injury or death. State and local police are going to be out on the roads working hard to make sure everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend." Chief Arthur O'Neill of the Mansfield Police Department and President of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association stated, "The use of safety belts is nothing short of common sense whether you are operating a compact car or a tractor trailer. Statistics and experience by local and state police have proven time and again that safety belts do indeed save lives."
During this initiative, the Massachusetts State Police and many local police departments will strive to encourage voluntary safety belt compliance across the Commonwealth. Currently, the safety belt compliance rate in Massachusetts is 69% as compared to 82% nationwide.
For more information, go to www.mass.gov/highwaysafety.
