Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr., is warning vehicle drivers and passengers that officers will be issuing tickets to persons not wearing seat belts from August 12^th through 18^th and September 2^nd through 8^th, which includes the upcoming Labor Day weekend.   The special enforcement period is a part of the California Seat Belt Compliance Campaign.

In July, a family of eight traveling on a California highway lost five members in a tragic rollover crash, in which no one was secured by a safety belt or child passenger seat.   They were all ejected, and the three who survived were seriously injured.

“What does it take to convince people to buckle up?” is a question to consider, according to Chief Butts.  “Taking the few seconds to buckle a seat belt is the most effective thing a person can do to save their life.”

Research reveals that people who fail to buckle up justify their irresponsible behavior with one of the following excuses:

            I forgot!

            I’m only taking a short trip.

            Seat belts are uncomfortable.

Please join the 91.2 percent of Californians that buckle up, and help the state become the first in the nation to achieve a 100 percent seat belt use rate!

For more information please contact Sergeant Jay Trisler of the Santa Monica Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Division at (310) 458-8993.