The Maui News
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is urging drivers to buckle up during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national “Click It or Ticket” enforcement effort which runs through June 4.
“We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said Edwin H. Sniffen, Hawaii Department of Transportation director. “It’s not just a safe thing to do — it’s the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our county law enforcement officers to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.”
Law enforcement agencies in all four counties will be stepping up enforcement activities during the Click It or Ticket mobilization period, taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement. Citations will be issued day and night.
In 2022, 40 percent (19 of the 48) vehicle occupants that died in Hawaii, were not wearing seat belts. So far in 2023 (January 1 to May 10), six of the 14 motor vehicle occupants who died in a crash were reported as not wearing their seat belt. Hawaii’s universal seat belt law requires that all occupants regardless of age or seating position be properly restrained using a child safety seat or a seat belt. The fine for unrestrained occupants on Oahu, Hawaii and Maui is $102, and the fine on Kauai is $112. Drivers will receive one citation for every unrestrained occupant in the vehicle.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, see NHTSA.gov/ciot.
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