University Police will be buckling down on safety belt law enforcement through the end of the week with Florida’s annual Click It or Ticket campaign.
During the campaign, law officers will be conducting more traffic stops than usual to check for safety belt usage.
Seat belt infractions are nonmoving traffic violations that carry no points, but there is a fine of $104, said UPD special events coordinator Lt. William Gainey. The goal of the campaign is to increase seat belt usage and bring awareness to the student community.
“Seat belt usage has continued to increase each year since the campaigns began,” said motorcycle officer David Watson.
Gainey said based on annual surveys, Gainesville consistently ranks in the 80th to 90th percentiles in the state for seat belt usage.
“Gainesville always has high seat belt usage rates, but the campaign is an effort to further increase productivity,” he said.
UF student Melissa Daum said the campaign is great.
“Sometimes, as busy students, we just hop in our cars without thinking,” said the 19-year-old finance sophomore, “but so many lives would be saved in those two seconds it takes to just buckle up.”
