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SALT LAKE CITY — Springville Police Sgt. Warren Foster says one of the most difficult tasks law enforcement can expect to undertake is delivering a message to families that a loved one won't be coming home because of a fatal accident.
But Foster's 20 years of police experience weren't enough to dull the sudden heartache of receiving such a message last fall.
On Oct. 24, Springville's police chief went to Foster's home to convey that his 23-year-old son, Cameron, was in a car accident that claimed his life because he wasn't wearing a seat belt.
"I actually went in the other room and called his cellphone because I didn't believe it was true," said Debra Foster, Cameron's mother. "But it was. He didn't answer."
Sgt. Foster shared his family's experience at a commemorative gathering Monday morning for the Utah Department of Public Safety's "Click It or Ticket" campaign, now in its 15th year.
The event was held in front of a line of pickup trucks at Larry H. Miller Super Ford as a reminder that pickup occupants have the lowest rates of seat belt use in Utah.
The occasion marked the start of the Utah Highway Patrol's annual mobilization campaign where law enforcement around the state will work 400 overtime shifts until June 1 to increase seat belt use by ticketing anyone who isn't buckled up.
"There will be zero tolerance on seat belt violations," UHP Col. Danny Fuhr said.
Foster said the loss of his son has given him even greater reason to uphold Utah's seat belt law.
"My philosophy now, obviously, is if you're not wearing your seat belt, you're going to get a ticket. That's just the bottom line," he said. "If that's the reminder that you need with a citation, you're going to get it."
The "Click It or Ticket" campaign has helped increase seat belt use among Utahns from 67.4 percent to 82.4 percent, saving an estimated 1,738 lives, according to UHP.
But the 18 percent of motorists who don't wear a seat belt comprise 50 percent of accident fatalities, Fuhr said.
He cited three rollover accidents that killed seven people and injured 10 others over the weekend. Several victims were not buckled in, he said.
It's absolutely preventable. There's no reason anyone should die for not wearing a seat belt.
–Col. Danny Fuhr
"It really is needless," Fuhr said. "It's absolutely preventable. There's no reason anyone should die for not wearing a seat belt."
Foster says he'll continue to encourage motorists to comply with Utah's seat belt law, not just for their own safety, but for the good of those they care about.
"It only takes a second to buckle up and save your life," he said. "It only takes a second to not affect other people in your life. … It affects everybody."
