Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and the Highway Safety Network touted the lifesaving benefits of buckling up at a press conference held today at the Walker Township Municipal Building in Centre County.

"Wearing your seat belt increases your chances of surviving a crash by as much as 60 percent," said Tom Zurat, PennDOT District Executive. "Despite our best efforts to educate people and despite the state's seat belt law, many still choose to travel unrestrained, which too often results in tragedy."

Trooper Mike Whelan, Community Services Officer for PSP Troop G, explained that Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code requires drivers and passengers younger than 18 years of age to buckle up anywhere in the vehicle. He also noted that under Pennsylvania's Primary Child Passenger Safety Law, children younger than age four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle and children ages 4-8 must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat.

Whelan added that Pennsylvania's secondary seat belt law requires drivers and passengers 18 years and older to wear a seat belt when behind the wheel or in the front passenger seat. If you are a driver aged 18 or older and police pull you over for another violation, you'll receive a second citation if you or your front-seat passengers are unrestrained.

Whelan also noted PSP Rockview increased its presence along Route 64 in Walker Township during the ongoing "Click It or Ticket" Enforcement mobilization that runs through this Sunday, June 5. PSP, along with as many as 600 municipal police departments participate in the "Click It or Ticket" national mobilization every May and November, conducting high visibility enforcement and offering zero tolerance for offenders. Click It or Ticket" is a statewide mobilization occurring every May and November where PSP and 600 municipal police departments conduct high visibility enforcement and offer zero tolerance for offenders. Whelan said PSP Rockview chose to increase patrols along Route 64 during this mobilization owing to a string of three crashes that resulted in four fatalities last month.

Josh Woods, Community Traffic Safety Project Coordinator with the Highway Safety Network, refuted some common excuses people use for not wearing their seat belts. Woods said many choose not to buckle up because they're not driving very far, but three out of four crashes occur within 25 miles of home. Others, Woods said, choose to ride unbelted because they're riding in the back seat and don't see the need, but he explained you can still be ejected from a vehicle if you're riding in the back. Additionally, he said you also pose a risk to others in your vehicle if you are unrestrained during a crash as you can become a projectile.

Other common excuses for not buckling up include:

• Excuse: I'm driving at night and the police won't see me. Fact: Police departments increased their nighttime enforcement. Additionally, there are more high-risk drivers on the roads at night, such as impaired or drowsy drivers, who present an increased risk for a crash.
• Excuse: I'm pregnant and the seat belt is too tight: Fact: Wearing your seat belt is the best defense for you and your baby in the event of a crash. Adjust the lap belt so that it fits snugly over the hips and pelvis, below your belly.
• Excuse: I don't want to be trapped by a seat belt in case my vehicle catches fire or is submerged in water. Fact: Less than one-half of one percent of all injury crashes involves fire or submersion. Also, national research has shown you're 25 times more likely to be killed if ejected from the vehicle.

Along with increased enforcement, PennDOT took several actions following the string of crashes along Route 64 last month to enhance motorists' safety. A traffic study was commissioned to determine if there has been an increase in the average daily traffic along that segment of highway that may have been a contributing factor in the crashes. In early May, PennDOT also placed a pair of speed display boards along Route 64 to aid in curbing speeding, a common type of aggressive driving behavior. They also placed a changeable message sign in the area, urging motorists to "Just Buckle Up" and are exploring the possibility of installing permanent signage with that message.

Pennsylvania's first seat belt law was passed in 1987 and contributed to usage rates steadily increasing to percentages in the low 80s by 2004. Over the last five years, usage rates in Pennsylvania have continued to increase to a high of 89.5 percent in 2021, but this number continues to trail primary law states where drivers can be pulled over solely for riding unbelted. The Pennsylvania Strategic Highway Safety Plan identifies strengthening the existing seat belt law and enacting primary seat belt legislation as two of its strategies for increasing future seat belt usage rates. That document also identifies outreach and education programs and high visibility enforcement efforts like "Click It or Ticket" as the top strategies for increasing seat belt usage.

According to PennDOT data, there were 378 unrestrained fatalities in Pennsylvania in 2021.

For more information on seat belts, visit http://www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Timothy Nebgen, 814-765-0598 or 814-360-3838

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