SCPD Taking Part in Buckle up New York-Click it or Ticket Campaign

Suffolk County Police will be monitoring seat belt and child safety provisions in vehicles as part of the Buckle up New York-Click it or Ticket Campaign, funded through the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee from Nov. 15-28.

Increasing seat belt usage and child safety awareness is one of the most effective ways to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries sustained during a crash, the county said in a statement.

Suffolk County Police officers will take a zero-tolerance approach to violators of the New York State's seat belt laws by conducting checkpoints and adding patrols. 

In addition to the Click it or Ticket Campaign, officers will actively be enforcing other provisions of the Vehicle and Traffic Law with special attention to those relating to aggressive and unsafe driving, such as tailgating, speeding, passing red lights, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

According to police officials, the following provisions of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic law pertain to seat belt and child safety seat usage:

• All children under the age of 4 must be restrained in a federally approved child safety seat or if a child's weight exceeds 40 pounds, in a child restraint system in conjunction with safety belts, the restraint system must meet size and weight recommendations of the manufacturer.
• Children ages 4 through 7 must be properly restrained in an appropriate child restraint system that meets the height and weight recommendations according to the manufacturer. The safety belt alone is not a child restraint system.
• All front seat occupants ages 8 and up must wear a seat belt.
• All rear seat passengers ages 8 through 15 must wear a seat belt.
• The driver of the vehicle is responsible for passengers under age 16 that are found to be in violation of the law.