Date: Fri 17-Oct-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

police-seat-belts

Full Text:

Police Step Up Enforcement Of Seat Belt Law

Town police will step up their enforcement of the seat belt law in a drive to

improve the safety of children in motor vehicles.

"It should be every day, all year round. It shouldn't be something we have to

tell people. It's for their own safety and it's for their children's safety,"

Lieutenant David Lydem said of the need to use seat belts. Lt Lydem heads the

police department's field services unit.

State law requires all adults sitting in the front seat to wear seat belts.

Also, children who are age four or younger, or who weigh less than 40 pounds,

must be fastened into a child safety seat while riding in a vehicle.

Police officers would rather issue violators a $37 ticket than investigate a

fatal accident, the lieutenant said in a statement.

Police recommend that children be buckled up in the rear seat of an auto

because front seat air bags can injure and in some cases kill small children.

Although most vehicular accidents happen within a short distance of home, many

people don't bother to properly buckle up their children, especially on

routine trips to the store or while on other errands, according to the

lieutenant.

While nine out of ten adults know of the risks posed to children by air bags,

six out of ten people don't take the necessary precautions, according to Lt

Lydem.