‘Click It Or Ticket’ is the phrase to know in local crackdown

Don't like cops pulling you over? Then be alert and watch that gas pedal this Memorial Day weekend! In an annual 'Click It or Ticket' campaign in Chippewa County and beyond, law enforcement is banding together to send a safety reminder: BUCKLE UP! The following press release from Chippewa County lays out the plans in greater detail: "The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office (CHSO) and The Chippewa Falls Police Department (CFPD)will join thousands of law enforcement agencies for this year's Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign, one of the nation's most important highway safety efforts. From May 24 through June 6, 2021, (CHSO/CFPD) will join officers statewide and nationwide, to patrol for longer hours to reinforce one safety message – BUCKLE UP. The annual campaign coincides with the first summer travel holiday. "Wisconsinites are anxious to resume their holiday traditions and that often includes a long weekend getaway or a daytrip," Sheriff Kowalczyk said. "With an increased number of cars flooding the roads for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, it's vital that we get the word out about the importance of wearing a seat belt." Currently, 89% of Wisconsin motorists wear safety belts. The 11 percent who fail to buckle up accounted for 43% of all the drivers and passengers killed in Wisconsin traffic crashes in 2020. Wisconsin's primary seat belt law, in place since 2009, allows law enforcement to stop and cite motorists for failing to wear a

See BUCKLE UP CAMPAIGN Page 7

A local unfortunate was pulled over recently by Chippewa County with a Stanley K9 assist as well, for unknown reasons. Pursuant to the Fourth Amendment and necessary suspicion, officers must first have reason to pull one over before doing

so, meaning that clicking that seatbelt gives one less lawful reason for them to interfere with your Memorial Day—in case you happen to be in a hurry. Then again, excessive speed is also cause for red and blue lights in the rearview mirror.

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seat belt. Drivers can also be cited for every unbuckled passenger in their vehicle. Penalties are higher for transporting unrestrained children. Failure to fasten a seat belt is among the most common traffic violations in Wisconsin, resulting in more than 27,000 traffic convictions last year.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019, 55% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement.

“We aren’t handing out tickets for the thrill of it. Wearing a seat belt is not only the law, it can save your life,” Sheriff Kowalczyk said. “If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up every trip, no matter how long.”