Carson sheriff says 'Buckle up or else'

Sheriff Kenny Furlong warned Carson City motorists they better buckle their seat belts or feel the bite on their wallets.

"No playing. It's click it or ticket," he said.

Local law enforcement agencies have joined forces to get Nevada motorists to buckle up.

Beginning Monday through June 6, Carson City deputies and Nevada Highway Patrol troopers will be scouring the roads for the "No Exceptions, No Excuses, Buckle Up Nevada" campaign.

If caught without a seat belt, motorists will be issued a citation for $67. If passengers are caught unrestrained, they get the ticket. But if anyone in the car under 18 is without a restraint, the driver is cited $107.

Federal grant money will be used to put Carson City officers on overtime. They will be on the street in addition to regular-duty officers, the chances of getting around town unbuckled will be slim, Furlong said.

The two-week enforcement wave will be supported by more than $30 million in congressionally funded national and state advertising.

"And if a child is found without a seat belt, it's mandatory classes. You're gonna get nailed," he said.

The goal of the effort is to boost the state's safety belt use rate and reduce fatalities.

According to statistics from the Nevada Department of Public Safety, during the past five years 1,301 motorists were killed on Nevada roads. Of those, 792 were not wearing seat belts. Half of those would have survived if they had been wearing their seat belts. Approximately 8,000 Americans, adults and children will die in crashes this year because they failed to buckle up.

"The only proven way to get significant increases in belt use among young people and ultimately save lives is through high visibility enforcement," said Trooper Chuck Allen. "Teens and young people are killed at far higher rates in crashes because they are caught in a lethal intersection of inexperience, risk taking and low safety belt use."

Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.