Police List Violations During Enforcement Project

During the two-week spring “Click-It or Ticket” national motor vehicle enforcement campaign, town police issued 403 violations to motorists, many of whom had failed to wear their seatbelts while driving, police said.

Town police conducted the heightened enforcement project from May 21 through June 3 inclusive, according to Sergeant Darlene Froehlich.

The violations include misdemeanor summonses, infractions, verbal warnings, and written warnings.

The categories enforced included: seatbelts, 130; child restraint systems, 1; DUI/DUI-related, 2; speed violations, 83; miscellaneous traffic offenses, 179, and criminal, 8.

Newtown, Bethel, Brookfield, and Redding police officers joined forces in conducting joint enforcement projects in each of those four towns during the Click-It or Ticket enforcement project.

High-visibility enforcement projects are credited with increasing the national seatbelt compliance rate from 58 percent in 1994 to 84 percent in 2011, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

It is estimated that in 2010, seatbelt usage saved an estimated 12,546 lives in the United States.