In a continued effort to keep Nevada drivers safe, University Police will be joining other Nevada Law Enforcement agencies looking for motorists and occupants who are not buckled up while traveling.
From now through June 1, Nevada’s law enforcement agencies will be Joining Forces looking for drivers and other occupants in vehicles who are not wearing their seatbelts and/or children who are not properly placed in car or booster seat(s). Officers, deputies and troopers will be stopping drivers for different traffic offenses and issuing citations for seatbelt violations throughout Washoe County.
When used correctly, lap/shoulder seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat occupants of passenger cars by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (less than 1 year old) and by 54 percent for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in passenger cars.
Thousands of lives are saved every year because of child restraints and seat belts. According to the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, among passenger vehicle occupants in 2013:
Child restraints saved an estimated 263 children under the age of 5; if child restraint use had been 100 percent, another 56 lives could have been saved.
Seat belts saved an estimated 12,584 lives for those 5 and older.
If all passenger vehicle occupants age 5 and older had worn seat belts, an additional 2,800 lives would have been saved in 2013.
University Police Services encourages everyone who is traveling in a motor vehicle to please buckle up. It only takes two seconds to put on a seatbelt, and in the event of a motor vehicle accident, it could save a life.
For resources and safety tips, please visit: www.zerofatalitiesnv.com/always-buckle-up/.
