Oklahoma to take part in seat belt crackdown Feb. 1

This Friday, law enforcement agencies across eight states will be taking part in 2013’s first “Get Your ‘Clicks’ on Route 66” seat belt crackdown, focusing on seat belt and child passenger safety laws. The  mobilization runs for 24 hours on Friday, Feb. 1.

“This quarterly mobilization reminds everyone of the importance of buckling up every time you’re in the car,” said OHP Lt. Ben Crockett, coordinator for the program. “Seat belts and child car seats are the best way to protect you and your family members in the event of a crash.”

The Route 66 enforcement effort began in 2010 with a handful of law enforcement agencies in central Oklahoma. Highway Patrol Troopers and State Police Officers from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois now join with Oklahoma in this quarterly crackdown focusing on seat belt laws along the famed “Mother Road,” Crockett said.

Officers made about 375 contacts along Route 66 during the 24-hour campaign Nov. 2, 2012.

“During the Route 66 crackdown, we’re out there to remind people that using a seat belt is not only a smart decision, it’s the law,” Crockett said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 13,000 lives are saved across the country every year by seat belts and child restraints, and motorists are 75 percent less likely to be killed in rollover crashes if they are buckled up.