The California Highway Patrol will be implementing a campaign to
enforce seat belt compliance during the highly traveled
Thanksgiving holiday.
The campaign will include overtime for officers, billboards
reminding people to buckle up and radio, television and newspaper
advertisements driving home the message, according to a CHP-issued
statement.
The California Highway Patrol will be implementing a campaign to enforce seat belt compliance during the highly traveled Thanksgiving holiday.
The campaign will include overtime for officers, billboards reminding people to buckle up and radio, television and newspaper advertisements driving home the message, according to a CHP-issued statement.
The campaign, called “Remember or be Remembered,” is in its second year. It aired during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday and for two weeks in May 2003, including Memorial Day weekend.
“The Wednesday before and the Friday after (Thanksgiving) are undoubtedly the two heaviest traffic days on Highway 101 and 152,” said CHP officer Terry Mayes. “Because of the increased travel, our aim is that if we observe a seat belt violation, we’re going to take action to try to get people to comply.”
The two previous phases of the campaign saw a marked increase in seat belt citations issued by CHP officers, Mayes said.
California has one of the highest compliance rates for seat belts in the nation, with more than 91 percent of residents wearing their seat belts, said Capt. Bob Davies.
“The other eight percent should listen up or be prepared to get a citation,” Davies said.
During the holiday, traffic on Highway 152 usually comes to a complete stop and backs up on Highway 101 all the way to the San Martin area when traveling north to San Jose, Mayes said.
Statistically, the increase in traffic means there will probably be an increase in collisions, she said.
“Wearing a safety belt is a no-brainer,” Davies said. “It doesn’t cost a thing, it takes a second of your time and is the single most effective action a person can take to save lives on the road.”
Between 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 and midnight Sunday, Nov. 30, the CHP will implement a maximum enforcement period, so all available officers will be on the road helping to ensure motorists have a safe holiday, Davies said.
Not wearing a seat belt is usually because people simply forget, Davies said.
“We’ve done research which shows that most people who aren’t wearing belts haven’t gotten into the habit,” he said.
Heightening people’s awareness of the importance of wearing a seat belt is the CHP’s ultimate goal. If the campaign helps to generate it as a habit for even one person, the CHP has accomplished its task, Mayes said.
Additionally, with the increased traffic comes an increase in stress for the motorists who have to deal with delays, traffic jams and unruly drivers.
“The thing we want to convey is patience, common sense and courteousness,” Mayes said. “Patience is a virtue and now is a great time to exercise that.”
