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Sam Penrod reporting Sometimes we get in the habit of not wearing our seatbelts when we're on a quick errand, just around the block. But police say that's a big mistake. Most fatal accidents happen close to home, at under freeway speeds, and the U-H-P is trying to drive home that point. The name of this seatbelt campaign is "Buckled or Busted." And for the next two weeks, police officers say that's what it means, if you get pulled over and are not wearing a seatbelt, you will get a ticket.
With several years experience as a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper, Sgt. Lee Perry has developed a zero tolerance policy for those drivers he encounters who are not wearing their seatbelt.
Sgt. Lee Perry, UHP: "HERE'S YOUR OTHER PROBLEM, YOU ARE NOT WEARING A SEATBELT TODAY, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A SEAT BELT ON AT ALL TIMES."
Police officers say they hear lots of excuses from drivers on why they aren't buckled up.
Sgt. Lee Perry, UHP: "MORE FATAL CRASHES HAPPEN WITHIN 25 MILES OF HOME AND AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 40 MPH, SO WHEN PEOPLE COME WITH EXCUSES THAT THEY ARE ONLY GOING A FEW BLOCKS, THOSE ARE THE DANGEROUS TIMES"
For the next two weeks, police departments across Utah are enforcing the state's seat belt law, by issuing tickets to those who are not buckled up. To police officers, the Buckled or Busted comes down to preventing serious injuries and saving lives.
"Sgt. Gordon Smith, Orem Police Dept.: "THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SEATBELTS ON, THE SURVIVAL RATE IS 94 PERCENT, AND WITHOUT IT, IT DROPS TO 56 PERCENT."
Officers say they see many deadly accidents, that could easily have been survivable, had the victims been wearing seatbelts. One such case happened in Utah just yesterday.
"Maj. Neil Porter, UHP: "WE HAD A ONE CAR ROLLOVER, FOUR PEOPLE INSIDE, ONLY ONE BELTED, THREE WERE EJECTED, THE CAR ROLLED SIX TIMES, TWO ARE NOW, WE BELIEVE HAD THEY BEEN RESTRAINED THEY WOULD STILL BE ALIVE TODAY."
Police are focusing on teen age drivers who aren't wearing seat belts. The Buckled or Busted campaign runs through the end of May, but police hope people won't get out of the habit of wearing their seatbelts.
