One of the most dangerous holidays to be on the road is coming up this weekend. Last year in Louisiana 14 people died in traffic related accidents over Memorial Day. Drunk driving, excessive speed, inattention, and lack of wearing a seat belt will be contributing factors to the serious injuries and deaths that will undoubtedly occur this weekend.

The state's semi-annual Click It Or Ticket campaign began yesterday and will continue through June 4th.  State Police Sgt. Jared Sandifer says not only is wearing your seat belt the law, it could also save your life. He says your chances of being killed or sustaining bodily injury are greatly reduced if you buckle up.

This weekend you can expect to see more law enforcement officers on the road checking seat belt usage.  State law mandates that you must wear a seat belt at all times while riding in a vehicle in Louisiana, regardless of whether you are the driver or a passenger.  Children birth to 6-years-old must be placed in a car seat.  If you are stopped for failure to follow the law, you will be ticketed and fined.

According to the Louisiana Radio Network, Sandifer said, "People might start seeing seat belt checkpoints pop up, and it’s all in the name of trying to keep people safe when they’re behind the wheel of that vehicle. We want to make sure that everybody stays buckled up every time.  There’s no guarantee that a seat belt is going to save your life in a crash, but it is the number one way that you can protect yourself while you’re driving that car."

 

 

 

 

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