Palmyra Police to Participate in Click It or Ticket Kickoff Monday Night

The Palmyra Police Department is one of 21 law enforcement agencies in New Jersey that will participate in the Click It or Ticket campaign kickoff Monday night.

From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday night, law enforcement officers from New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia will set up checkpoints and roving patrols near border crossings to enforce seat belt usage, Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said Monday morning.

This targeted operation signals the beginning of the Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs in New Jersey through June 1.

A total of 125 law enforcement agencies in the 11 states are expected to participate. In New Jersey, Montvale, Northvale, River Vale, Franklin Lakes, Pennsauken, Haddon Twp., Palmyra, Ewing Twp., Burlington City, Pohatcong, Phillipsburg, Essex County Sheriff, Passaic County Sheriff, Jersey City, North Bergen, Guttenberg, West New York, Union City, Fort Lee, Bergen County Police and New Jersey State Police will all participate.

“Because we border three other states, New Jersey is a vital cog in this enforcement effort,” Division of Highway Traffic Safety Acting Director Gary Poedubicky said. “The border crossing to our north, west and south are heavily trafficked areas important locations to deploy law enforcement to ensure that seat belt laws are being obeyed.”

A total of 184 agencies received $4,000 each to run the seatbelt enforcement checkpoints and saturation patrols for the 14-day crackdown. Last year, 85 percent of New Jersey police agencies, or 422 of 495, participated in the Click It or Ticket campaign.

The mobilization ran from May 20 to June 2 and resulted in 26,049 seat belt citations. Police officers also wrote 612 child restraint and 4,895 speeding citations, and made 860 DWI arrests.

“Despite major advancements in vehicle manufacturing and technology, seat belts remain the most effective safety feature available in cars today,” Poedubicky said. “Simply put, a seat belt can mean the difference between life, death, or serious injury. Encouraging New Jersey residents to buckle up is an ongoing priority of our division and the many law enforcement agencies with whom we work.” 

Legislation passed in 2010 made it a secondary offense for adults over the age of 18 to ride unbuckled in the back seat of a motor vehicle. The law allows police to issue a summons and fine of $46 to unrestrained adults in the back seat when the car they are riding in is pulled over for another violation.

The state’s primary seat belt law requires all motorists and passengers in the front seat, including passengers under the age of 18, to wear a seat belt or be securely buckled in a car seat, or face a $46 fine. This ticket is issued to the driver.

For a list of all the agencies receiving grants for the Click It or Ticket crackdowns, click here.