Annual seat belt campaign under way

Next week, the annual Click It or Ticket campaign will launch in Alachua County - a time during which officers will strictly enforce seat belt laws.

The effort is an attempt to spread the word about seat belt safety. The unoccupied seats stood for people who had lost their lives for failing to wear a seat belt.

"Unfortunately the message is not getting through to all of our people," said Morya Willis, chairwoman of Alachua County's Traffic Safety Team. "Truthfully, there is no valid reason for not buckling up."

In 2006, 2,103 people died in Florida in vehicles equipped with safety belts. More than 60 percent of those who died were not wearing the safety devices, area officials reported.

Also in 2006 in Alachua County, 17 people out of 46 killed in traffic fatalities died as a result of not wearing a safety belt.

Florida ranked 35th in the nation in percentage of safety belt usage in 2007, down from 28th the year before, Willis said.

This year, the goal of the campaign in Florida is to raise the state's percentage for seat belt use from 79 percent to 85 percent, she said.

Officers from law enforcement agencies around the county and representatives from emergency service organizations gathered at the Gainesville Fire Rescue Station No. 3 off Waldo Road in support of the program that will run from Monday through June 1.

Florida Highway Patrol Maj. Richard Carpenter said motorists can expect to see more officers on roadways and strict enforcement when it comes to those violating seat belt laws.

Florida does not have a primary seat belt law, meaning an officer cannot stop a motorist for failing to wear one. But the person can be pulled over for other traffic violations and then cited for violating seat belt laws.

Officers promised tough enforcement of safety belt laws during the next several weeks with no warnings for violators.

The campaign begins as the number of traffic fatalities have increased in some area counties.

Traffic fatalities have already risen in four North Florida counties compared to the same time last year, figures from FHP show.

Alachua County has had 18 traffic fatalities this year compared to 16 during the same time last year, FHP reported. There have been seven traffic deaths in Bradford County so far, compared to three last year. Figures in Columbia County stand at 17 this year, compared to 13 in 2007. Six people have died so far this year on Gilchrist County roads. Three had been killed during the same 4 1/2-month period in 2007.

Gainesville police believe seat belts could have saved a University of Florida student who died after a vehicle crash earlier this year.

UF student Brock Benton, 26, died soon after a crash in northwest Gainesville in March. He lost control of his car in the 2800 block of NW 16th Avenue. The vehicle landed on top of several trees.

Sgt. Joe Raulerson, commander of GPD's Traffic Safety Team, said Benton was not wearing a seat belt, which he thinks could have saved the student's life.

"I really do think that seat belts would have made a difference on him," Raulerson said.

Lise Fisher can be reached at 352-374-5092 or fisherl@gvillesun.com.