Area Police Departments Reward Motorists for Buckling Up
When police officers stop motorists to talk to them about safety belts, it’s usually to issue a ticket or a warning to drivers and passengers who are not in compliance with the state’s law. Over Memorial Day weekend, Cleveland-area police officers had a chance to interact with the public in a new way—rewarding motorists who are doing the right thing and buckling up. In partnership with Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and the Grand Prix of Cleveland, officers from eight local police departments staged ‘buckle downs’ from May 25 to June 3 to reward drivers who were wearing seat belts.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 45 and among the top 10 causes at all ages. Riding restrained—in a car seat for infants or toddlers, booster seats for young children and seat belts for older children and adults—is the single most effective means of preventing injury or death in a crash. A lot of time, money, and energy goes into trying to convince the 2 in 5 Greater Cleveland drivers who don’t wear their seat belts to buckle up, but few efforts are made to reward the 3 in 5 drivers who do. While officers throughout Cuyahoga County were out on our roads over Memorial Day weekend to enforce Ohio’s law and ticket drivers who were not buckled up, some motorists caught wearing their seat belts in North Royalton, Parma, Strongsville, Warrensville Heights, Bedford Heights, Moreland Hills, Glenwillow, and Brooklyn Heights scored a pair of tickets to the Grand Prix of Cleveland, which takes place June 22-24. Officers in these eight communities set up quick checkpoints at various times and locations between May 25 and June 3 where they distributed pairs of tickets to the Grand Prix of Cleveland to motorists who were wearing their seat belts.
The organizers of the Grand Prix of Cleveland have joined with Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital to thank the 70% of Cuyahoga County drivers who buckle up. Rainbow is lead agency for the Cuyahoga County Speed, Reckless, and Aggressive Driving/DUI Reduction Task Force, a coalition of 45 law enforcement agencies who work together to improve safety on our roadways. Police officers in these eight cities were excited about the opportunity to reward drivers who do the right thing—in addition to their usual job of citing those who do not—so buckle up every time you get in the car: you never know where these ‘buckle downs’ will pop up!
Warrensville Heights police officer rewards a motorists with two tickets to the Cleveland Grand Prix for wearing her seatbelt.
Updated on:
May 30, 2007
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