The Scarborough Police Department in cooperation with The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will once again be participating in Operation ABC Mobilization / Click it or Ticket. The campaign will run from May 23rd to June 5th. This is a high-visibility seat belt enforcement campaign designed to increase seat belt use in Maine and nationwide through increased enforcement of occupant protection laws during the heavily traveled holiday season. More than 13,000 agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, will be participating in this May’s mobilization.
Maine’s participation in the 2004 national effort helped to raise national seat belt usage to a record-high 80 percent. While this is a tremendous accomplishment, there is still work to do. Maine’s seat belt usage rate is 59.2%. In 2002, of the 180 people in Maine killed in car crashes who could have been buckled-up, 75 or 41.6% were completely unrestrained. Tragically, approximately half of those people would have survived had they simply used their seat belts.
As a reminder below are the seat belt and child safety seat laws.
1. All persons ages 8 and older and more than 4 feet 7 inches tall must be secured in a federally approved seat belt.
2. A child who is under 12 years of age and weighs less than 100 pounds must be secured in the BACK SEAT if possible.
3. Children from birth to 4 years of age and under 40 pounds, must be in an appropriate child safety seat
4. Children from 4 to 8 years of age and under 80 pounds, must be in an appropriate booster seat.
For your child’s safety:
– A child must ride rear facing until 1 year of age AND weigh at least 20 pounds.
– NEVER place a rear-facing child safety seat in front of an airbag.
Violations of these traffic laws can result in $65.00 fine.
Questions about occupant protection can be referred to:
Department of Human Services 1-800-698-3624
Department of Public Safety 624-8756 or The Auto Safety Hotline 1-800-424-9393
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