By Kristyne E. Demske
C & G Staff Writer

SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA — Police across the state have begun their “Click it or Ticket” campaign once more, and local departments are no exception.

Sgt. Ken Cazabon said Shelby Township said the department would conduct enforcement zones May 26 and would have two more days of enforcement May 28 and 30 to get people in the mindset of buckling their seatbelts in time for summer driving season.

“Particularly, we pay attention to the intersections where we have the most accidents in hopes to prevent accidents, first of all (but also to) make people aware,” he said. “I do see a difference. I see a lot more people wearing seatbelts these days.”

In addition, he said they see far fewer serious injuries from accidents: a result of drivers and passengers buckling up and staying in their seat in a crash instead of “the car roll(ing) over them or they flop around in the car.”

“Most of the accidents where you hear people are killed are rollover accidents,” he said. “They get run over by their own car.”

Seatbelt enforcement zones are clearly marked with signs giving drivers “fair warning,” Cazabon said.

“It’s amazing the people who don’t put them on but you do see some people, as soon as they see you, they start putting them on.”

In Utica, enforcement zones were set up May 18 and 21 during the afternoons. They plan to have five night patrols set up ending May 29, as well as more afternoon zones set for May 31, June 26 and July 2. They’ll also be targeting drunken drivers during those times.

Utica Sgt. Dan Healy said he’s seen the zones work because they are pulling fewer cars over for non-compliance than in the past.

“Before, when the guys would work it, the spotter would lose his voice calling out all the people” for other officers to stop for a seatbelt ticket, he said. Nowadays, they might only get a dozen or 15 cars stopped during a patrol for not wearing belts. “You definitely notice a difference.”

Shelby Township and Utica pay for the program through the same federal grant, which is filtered down to the local departments through the state’s Office of Highway Safety and Planning and the county.

Healy said Utica will participate “as long as there’s money available. We wouldn’t be able to afford to put four guys out there on overtime” without the grant.

Cazabon said $65 seatbelt tickets are issued as a primary offense in Michigan.

“We do issue tickets all year long, but these days we just step it up,” he said.