North, West Caldwell Will Get Funds For Seatbelt Enforcement Campaign

CALDWELLS, NJ — North Caldwell and West Caldwell are among the towns that will get funding to run a “Click It or Ticket” seatbelt enforcement campaign in 2024, state officials announced Monday.

The annual traffic campaign aims to “raise awareness among drivers and passengers about the lifesaving importance of wearing seat belts,” according to a news release from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS).

The campaign, which will run through June 2, will provide grant funding to law enforcement agencies across the state so they can step up enforcement of New Jersey’s seat belt requirements.

This year, 119 New Jersey law enforcement agencies have received $766,010 from the HTS to help pay for increased road patrols, seat belt checkpoints, and other enforcement initiatives during the "Click It or Ticket" campaign.

The North Caldwell Police Department is slated to get $7,000 as part of this year’s wave of funding. West Caldwell police will also get $7,000. See the full list here.

Why is the annual effort needed? Here’s what state officials had to say:

“According to the most recent data from 2022, in New Jersey there were 140 unbelted fatalities, and 39 percent of all motor vehicle occupant fatalities were unrestrained compared to 44 percent nationally. And over the past five years, nearly 16 percent of all unrestrained occupants killed in motor vehicle crashes in New Jersey were between the ages of 20 and 24, compared to 13.5 percent nationally.”

In New Jersey, a ticket for a seat belt violation can cost $46 for a first offense, officials noted.

Last year, law enforcement agencies participating in the “Click It or Ticket” campaign issued 6,989 seatbelt citations statewide, wrote 2,320 speeding summonses and made 232 impaired driving arrests.

“Seat belts save lives – we want that message to be loud and clear,” Platkin said. “And the campaign we are announcing today will provide law enforcement agencies with resources to reinforce that basic but critical point.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.