Officers upping enforcement on using seatbelts -

New Albany police officers are participating the National Click It or Ticket campaign that starts this week. The dates are November 16-29.

“Our officers will be participating as part of the requirements of our grant from the Office of Highway Safety,” Police Chief Chris Robertson said. “For FY21, we received funding for overtime for the officers to work speeding and seatbelt enforcement.”

In 2019, 9,466 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States.

While that was a decrease from 2018, an early study for 2020 suggests that during the COVID-19 public health emergency, driving patterns and behaviors changed significantly.

Of those drivers who remained on the roads, there was more risky behavior, including people not wearing seat belts.

Officers remind drivers to always place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck, and place the lap belt across your hips, not your stomach. You should never put the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm.

For more information, go to:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/click-it-or-ticket