Dodge County Sheriff Steve Hespen is stressing the importance of wearing a seat belt.
Hespen’s office is participating in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national “Click It or Ticket” campaign. The campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day Holiday, runs May 24 to June 6.
“We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers,” Hespen said. “It’s not just a safe thing to do — it’s the law.”
During “Click It or Ticket,” Hespen said his office will be working with fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers.”
State statistics show that three out of 10 occupants do not buckle up each and every trip.
“We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time,” Hespen said. “We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.”
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is also participating in the kickoff of, “Border to Border,” which is a one-day four-hour national seat belt awareness event on May 24. The program’s goal is to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled, highly visible state border checkpoints.
According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, in 2020 there were 132 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the state. In comparison with other states, Nebraska has the fourth-worst observed seat belt usage in the U.S.
Hespen hopes the national campaigns will help save lives.
“If the enforcement effort wakes people up to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” he said. “If you know a friend or family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits.”
For more information, visit: dot.nebraska.gov/safety/hso/.
On Air Now
Your Favorite Music
