Crime & Safety

Fort Lee PD to Ramp Up 'Click it or Ticket' Crackdowns

Borough has received a $4,000 grant to enforce seatbelt violations between May 20-June 2.

Fort Lee police will be aggressively enforcing seatbelt violations over the next few weeks as part of the national "Click It or Ticket" campaign.

According to the National Division of Highway Safety, Fort Lee was one of 17 Bergen municipalities to receive a $4,000 grant towards enforcement. "Click It or Ticket" mobilization will run from May 20 through June 2. Deputy Chief Timothy Ford will oversee the campaign.

"There will be numerous details conducted throughout town between May 20th and June 2nd," Fort Lee Police Chief Keith Bendul said. "An unbuckled driver can easily lose control of a vehicle, and an unbuckled occupant can be thrown from the car during a collision. It has be said the wearing a seatbelt can reduce the chances of being killed by 75%."

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The National highway Traffic Safety Administration found 52 percent of the more than 20,000 passengers killed in auto accidents in 2011 were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. Almost 12,000 lives were by seatbelts nationwide in 2011, the agency said. 

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” Division of Highway Traffic Safety Acting Director Gary Poedubicky said in a news release. “We want everyone to have a safe summer, but it requires an important step on the part of motorists – clicking that seat belt.”

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With more than 300,000 vehicles passing through the borough each day, traffic safety has long been among the focuses of the borough police department.


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