DALTON, GA. -- Police across the state are buckling down on fastening up.
On the second day of the annual "Click It or Ticket" enforcement program, Officer Steve Zahn with the Dalton Police Department's Traffic Investigation Unit sat in his patrol car, eyes peeled for unrestrained motorists.
"We've got one," a voice over the police radio called out. "Female driver. Jeep."
Inside the patrol car Tuesday afternoon, Officer Zahn filled in the necessary information to issue a $15 citation to the individual not buckled up, a consequence he hopes will teach the offender to wear a seat belt.
Through June 6, officers throughout Georgia will conduct random checks day and night to ensure drivers are buckling up.
"The goal is to educate the public on seat belt usage and the importance, and to cut down on fatalities caused by serious crashes," Officer Zahn said.
In Calhoun, Ga., police have spread the word about the two-week safety campaign by running ads and promoting the program at local high schools, said police Chief Garry Moss.
With Memorial Day and summer school break on the horizon, he said, it's the perfect time of year to remind drivers to take a few extra seconds to fasten their seat belts.
"You have so many accidents now that involve people not wearing their seat belts where they are seriously injured," Chief Moss said. "There's a lot of travel that goes on during the summer months, and we want everybody to be safe."
This year, police must also educate the public on a law that requires pickup truck drivers to wear their safety belts. Georgia is the last state to enforce such a law, said Katie Fallon, spokeswoman for the Governor's Office for Highway Safety.
The law "requires all pickup truck drivers to buckle up, except if they are operating the truck in an agricultural capacity," she said. "Which basically means, if they're leaving or entering their farmland on farming business, they're exempt. But everybody else, if you're just driving to the grocery store, you have to buckle up."
SEAT BELT LAWGeorgia's seat belt law requires the use of safety belts in all passenger vehicles. Motorists can be pulled over specifically for a seat belt violation, but also can be cited for not wearing a seat belt if stopped for another reason.Beginning July 1, drivers and passengers in pickup trucks also must wear seat belts at all times, unless the truck is being operated in an agricultural capacity.Source: State Governor's Office for Highway Safety.
The law, sponsored by Sen. Don Thomas, R-Dalton, is set to go into effect July 1 after it is signed by the governor.
Police say that, despite their efforts to educate the public about the coming regulation, they anticipate pickup truck drivers will have a difficult time adjusting.
"There's a lot of them that don't (wear seat belts)," Officer Zahn said. "It's going to take a little bit to get them educated. More than likely, when we start stopping them for violations, the heard excuse will be, 'I didn't know it went into effect.'"
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