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The Wake Forest Police Department’s
Traffic Enforcement Unit conducted its
first official roadside seatbelt
checkpoint on May 16 from 10:30 a.m. to
3 p.m. The checkpoint was set up in the
eastbound lane of Front Street at
Roosevelt Avenue.
It was part of a nationwide
campaign, held May 8 through May 21,
called “Buckle Up in Your Truck.”
Jointly sponsored by the Governor’s
Highway Safety Program and the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
the campaign is designed to convince
pickup occupants to protect themselves
from traffic injuries and death by
wearing their safety belts regularly.
Pickup drivers often say they feel safer
because their trucks are bigger,
stronger, and sit up higher than most
cars on the road. But a substantial
number of all deaths in pickups are in
rollover crashes.
According to the Governor’s
Highway Safety Program website, studies
conducted for the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
indicate occupants in pickup trucks
consistently have lower safety belt
usage rates than occupants in
automobiles, vans and sport utility
vehicles.
Altogether, the checkpoint
netted 151 charges, of which 117 were
seatbelt violations. The remaining
results were:
- 3 citations for failure to
restrain child in safety restraint
- 8 citations for failure to
stop at a stoplight
- 5 citations for operating
a vehicle without a license
- 2 citations for failing to
carry a driver’s license while operating
a vehicle
- 5 citations for
registration violations
- 4 citations for failure to
change address
- 4 citations for
inspections
- 1 citation for no
insurance
- 1 citation for carrying an
open container of alcohol
- 1 citation for passing on
the right
Department officials say
future checkpoints are planned,
including several in the coming months
that will target drivers under the
influence of alcohol.
For more information about
the Wake Forest Police Department’s
Traffic Enforcement Unit, contact Lt.
Darren Abbacchi at (919) 554-6163. |
