MDOT participates in national “Click It or Ticket” week


Thursday, May 25, 2006
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MDOT participates in national “Click It or Ticket” week

In an effort to promote awareness on the importance of wearing seat belts, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is participating in the national “Click It or Ticket” week.

In 2005, there were 718 motor vehicle fatalities in the state of Mississippi. Of those accidents, 543 people were not wearing their seat belts.

Regularly wearing seat belts can drastically reduce fatalities and injuries in highway traffic crashes. When worn correctly, safety belts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent, and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUV’s and mini-vans.

Too many people take the attitude that it will never happen to them, according to MDOT Executive Director Larry L. “Butch” Brown. “Fatal crashes can and do happen everyday,” he said. “By increasing the use of safety belts we can save more lives.”

Nearly one in five Americans still fail to regularly wear their seat belts when driving or riding in motor vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Motorists in rural areas, young males and pick up truck drivers and their passengers are the most likely to not buckle up. The Click it or Ticket campaign includes more that 12,000 other state, local law enforcement and highway safety officials, and is an effort to crack down on safety belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities.

For more information, please contact MDOT External Affairs Division at (601) 359-7017. Also check the MDOT website at www.goMDOT.com for traffic alerts and other helpful info.

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