ITHACA, N.Y. — Click it or ticket. New York State Police are having a statewide “Buckle Up New York” Campaign until June 3.
Memorial Day weekend is a popular time for traveling, and state police are joining up with local law enforcement to make sure motorists are beginning the summer travel season safe. Law enforcement will be out at check points and on patrol looking for seat belt violations, NYSP said in a news release Tuesday.
New York State Police say the zero tolerance, high visibility enforcement campaign is mean to “draw attention to the risks faced by unbuckled passengers in motor vehicles.”
About one third of all motor vehicle occupants killed on highways are unrestrained, police said.
When traveling in New York, everyone in the front — including the driver and passengers — must wear seat belts. In the back, passengers under 16 must wear seat belts. Children between the ages of 4 and 7 must be properly restrained in an appropriate child restraint system that meets the child’s weight and height requirements. And children under 4 must be restrained in a federally approved child safety seat, the law states.
The penalty for a seat belt or car seat violation is $50. New York’s seat belt law is also a “primary enforcement law,” which means a police officer can stop someone for not having a seat belt on.