Buckling Up Saves Lives and ResourcesSafety belts save lives! Getting all motor vehicle occupants to wear them, however, can be a complicated task. Some people forget or are not in the habit; others find them uncomfortable. Safety belts are ultimately your best protection in the event of a crash. Buckling up reduces your chances of being killed or seriously injured by up to 50%.Massachusetts is lagging behind the rest of the country in safety belt use, and each year it costs us hundreds of human lives and billions of dollars in wasted resources. Observational studies put safety belt use at 75% nationwide but at only 62% in Massachusetts. Motor vehicle crashes cost the state more than $6.3 billion in 2001, and the lack of safety belt use was proven to be a major factor in these economic costs. In 2001, there were 477 deaths and more than 91,000 injuries attributed to motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts. Since safety belts reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a motor vehicle crash by up to 50%, we could prevent a significant number of deaths and injuries as well as the waste of limited resources simply by getting more people to buckle up.

The Governor's Highway Safety Bureau (GHSB) is working to improve highway safety in Massachusetts by conducting a "Click It or Ticket" campaign from November 2003 to September 2004. The campaign, made possible by a federal highway safety grant, consists of four "mobilizations" that run one to two weeks in length and typically involve major holidays. The campaign will combine increased traffic enforcement with media messages and community education, with the goal of increasing safety belt use statewide. So far the campaign has proved successful, helping to increase statewide safety belt use 11% to 62% as of June 2003. A 2003 GHSB phone survey found that 71% of people favor stricter enforcement of the Massachusetts Safety Belt Law. The Harvard Police Department supports and is participating in the Massachusetts "Click It or Ticket" Campaign. If you'd like to support the campaign and help increase safety belt use in your community, go to the GHSB website, www.mass.gov/ghsb. The "Click It or Ticket" link connects you to online resources where you can: · Get involved in community-based activities· Create customized talking points to make a presentations to a group· Send an e-card to a family member, friend, or co-worker to remind them to buckle up

To coordinate enforcement efforts for statewide impact, the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau Directed that enforcement by police officers of this initiative occur during five (5) mobilization periods: November, December, May, June, and ending in August of 2004.

During the four (4) completed mobilization dates, the Harvard Police Department realized the following statistics:

The November mobilization resulted in thirty-six (36) traffic related stops with twenty-six (26) traffic tickets being issued for speeding, and three (3) safety belt violations. Other violations included both criminal and non-criminal offenses.

The December mobilization resulted in forty-nine (49) traffic related stops with thirty-seven (37) traffic tickets being issued for offenses such as: speeding nine (9); Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol (2); safety belt violations three (3) and assorted other criminal and non-criminal traffic offenses.

The May mobilization resulted in thirty-three (33) traffic related stops with eleven (11) tickets being issued for speeding, six (6) being issued for safety belt violations and the balance being comprised of various criminal and non-criminal traffic offenses.

The June mobilization, our most recent mobilization resulted in nineteen (19) traffic related stops, with one (1) ticket being issued for Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, five (5) tickets being issued for safety belt violations, four (4) tickets were issued for speeding and the balance being comprised of various criminal and non-criminal traffic offenses.

Respectfully submitted,

Chief Edward D. Denmark
Chief of Police