From November 16-29, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and the Fremont Police Department successfully shined a spotlight on seat belt use during its annual Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement campaign.
This campaign, which included the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, was twofold: to combine increased enforcement and a zero-tolerance policy, with effective communication to road users on the importance of seat belt use.
“This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign was a real success,” said Dodge County Sheriff Steve Hespen. “Through our enforcement efforts, we believe we made progress in Dodge County. We don’t measure success by the number of citations issued; it’s about reaching people and promoting a simple, lifesaving habit. It only takes two seconds to make it click.”
The Fremont Police Department provided a total of seven Officers and worked 101 overtime hours during the grant period. All traffic enforcement statistics will be reported back to the State of Nebraska.
The statistics from FPD are as follows:
- 37 Citations for Speeding
- 1 Felony Arrest
- 1 Minor in Possession of Alcohol Citation
- 1 Open Alcohol Container Citation
- 8 Safety Belt Citations
- 1 Child Passenger Safety Restraint Citation
- 16 Other Traffic Violation Citations
65 total citations were issued by FPD and 108 total contacts were made during the campaign period.
According to the NDOT Highway Safety Office, over 60% of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2019 were unrestrained. During this year’s campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (MHTSA) urged law enforcement nationwide to issue seat belt citations to anyone caught in violation of the law – during the day and at night.
Nebraska’s seat belt use rate in 2019 was 79.7%, the fourth-lowest in the nation. The Click It or Ticket campaign exists for the remaining 20.3% who still do not buckle up. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if every person was properly restrained on the road.
