News Release

ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE MCGRATH
STATE OF MONTANA

FOR RELEASE: November 27, 2002

CONTACT: Judy Beck or Lynn Solomon, 444-0582

'Click It Or Ticket' Campaign This Weekend

HELENA - Officials from the Montana Department of Transportation and the Montana Highway Patrol Wednesday reminded Montanans that law enforcement officers will be paying extra attention to the state's seatbelt laws over the holiday weekend.

The "Click It Or Ticket" campaign began on Monday and continues through the Thanksgiving weekend. Across the country, law enforcement agencies will participate in the increased enforcement of seatbelt laws.

"We can't say it often enough," Col. Shawn Driscoll of the Montana Highway Patrol said. "Buckling your seatbelt is the quickest, easiest way to stay safe. This weekend, if you and your passengers don't properly use seatbelts you'll receive a citation."

Montana has a secondary seatbelt law, meaning that law enforcement officers cannot stop drivers solely for not wearing a seatbelt. If an officer stops a vehicle for another reason, however, the driver may be ticketed if anyone in the vehicle is not properly buckled up. Montana law requires the use of seatbelts by the driver and every passenger.

"We want Montanans to use their seatbelts every day, on every trip, no matter how short the distance or slow the speed," said Dave Galt, director of the Montana Department of Transportation. "The 'Click It or Ticket' campaign will remind folks how important it is to buckle up."

Helpful links:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Buckle Up America: www.buckleupamerica.org [changed to www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.ce4a601cdfe97fc239d17110cba046a0 on 9/15/08]
National Safety Council: www.nsc.org

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