Wisconsin drivers are about to get a reminder about the dangers of driving drunk and riding in a car without a seat belt. The statewide campaign known as “Booze and Belts” will last until December 17th and is intended to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to car and truck accidents. Police departments all over the state have been cracking down on people who do not wear their seat belts in connection with the nationwide Click it or Ticket campaign. Now the state is further stepping up efforts to arrest and convict drivers for not buckling up.
In 2010, Wisconsin obtained almost 120,000 convictions for seat belt violations. Police and prosecutors also convicted another 40,000 people in drunk driving cases. The alcohol related offenses led to more than 200 fatalities and thousands of injuries. The state is intent on eliminating these senseless car crash injuries by convincing drivers to be more responsible…or else.
Wisconsin’s goal is one we all share. They want to eliminate all preventable traffic deaths from their streets and highways. By reminding drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving, and of the increased potential for injury that comes with not wearing a seat belt, police hope to make the roads safer for everyone.
The holiday season is a dangerous time for drivers. Alcohol related driving incidents go up. The weather leads to dangerous conditions on the road. Many young and inexperienced drivers hit the roads during their holiday breaks. The conditions are ripe for tragic auto accidents. Wisconsin police are hoping, as are we all, that drivers will think twice before endangering their own lives and the lives of their fellow motorists by engaging in negligent, dangerous and illegal driving practices.
Source: CBS-58, “Booze and Belts campaign kicks off,” by Britni McDonald, 9 December 2011
