Crime & Safety
'Click It Or Ticket' Enforcement Underway In Bucks County
Three local police departments are taking part in the state program, which runs through June 2.
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BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Between now and June 2, the Newtown Borough, Newtown Township and Northampton Township police departments will be participating in the state's “Click It or Ticket” (CIOT) Enforcement Mobilization.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania State Police are partnering with municipal police departments from across the commonwealth to urge motorists to keep traffic safety top of mind when behind the wheel this holiday weekend, and all summer long by keeping their seat belts clicked.
“‘Click it or Ticket' isn't about citations, it's about saving lives,” said PennDOT Secretary MikeCarroll. “Wearing a seat belt increases your chances of surviving a crash by up to 60 percent. Through continued enforcement and education, we hope to see more people buckling up and fewer fatal crashes on Pennsylvania’s roads.”
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Pennsylvania law requires drivers, front-seat passengers, and any occupant younger
than 18 to buckle up when riding in a vehicle.
Children under age 4 must be properly secured in an approved child safety seat. Children under age 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they outgrow the maximum weight and height limits designated by the seat manufacturer. Booster seats are required for children ages 4 to 8.
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In 2023, there were 11,756 crashes in Pennsylvania where at least one occupant was not wearing a seat belt, resulting in 316 fatalities. It is estimated that 92 percent of unbelted occupants, or 282 people, who were killed in crashes while traveling in passenger vehicles, including cars, small trucks, vans, and SUVs, could have survived if they had been buckled up.
Troopers certified as child passenger safety technicians offer car seat fittings and inspections throughout Pennsylvania, helping ensure that car seats are in good working condition, installed properly, and free from recalls.
“It’s important that parents and caregivers buckle up while behind the wheel while also ensuring children are in properly installed child safety seats,” said Colonel Christopher Paris, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. “Troopers who are certified as child passenger safety technicians can do just that by providing education and hands-on assistance with the proper use of safety seats so children are safe for every ride.”
The checks are free of charge. A complete list of child passenger seat fitting stations is available at psp.pa.gov.
During the four-day Memorial Day weekend in 2023, PSP troopers investigated 651 crashes that resulted in four fatalities and 142 injuries. State Police also cited 1,318 individuals for not wearing seat belts and issued 224 tickets for not securing children in safety seats.
As part of the enforcement mobilization, state and local police agencies will be taking part in coordinated, high-visibility enforcement by utilizing roving patrols, traffic enforcement zones, and speed enforcement details on roadways with high rates of unbuckled crashes.
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