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Protecting Utah
UHP To Participate in Border to Border Seat Belt Enforcement Operation
Six States Join In One Concentrated Effort to Save Lives
Border to Border Operation will focus on seat belt use across state lines
On Monday, May 21st, the Utah Highway Patrol will join law enforcement agencies in its five neighboring states and across the United States in mobilizing the Click It or Ticket “Border to Border” (B2B) Operation, a one-day national seat belt awareness kickoff event. Law enforcement agencies will join forces to provide increased seat belt enforcement across state borders, sending a zero tolerance message to the public: driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what state.
The B2B program aims to increase law enforcement participation in the Click It or Ticket mobilization by coordinating high visibility seat belt enforcement. Utah is partnering with law enforcement agencies in neighboring states including Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and Arizona.
This “Border to Border” initiative is taking place during the national seat belt enforcement campaign, which is occurring from May 21 through June 3, concurrent with one of the busiest travel and holiday weekends of the year.
“This effort demonstrates six states joining together in one concentrated effort to save lives by increasing seat belt use,” said Utah Highway Patrol Colonel Michael Rapich. “We are proud to join our neighboring states in a unified effort to increase traffic safety and reduce fatal crashes by sending a zero tolerance message about riding unbuckled across the Intermountain West.”
The B2B program is a successful study in collaboration between law enforcement offices: During the 2017 B2B program, participating law enforcement agencies issued citations for 5,695 seat belt and car seat violations, as well as 14,619 citations for other traffic infractions. This, in turn, reminded drivers to drive safer.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly half (48%) of the passenger vehicles occupants killed in crashes in 2016 were unrestrained. At night from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., that number soared to 56 percent of those killed. That’s why one focus of this year’s B2B and Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. During the two weeks of Click It or Ticket, participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt enforcement, writing citations day and night.
To demonstrate the cross border partnership, agencies from the neighboring states gathered regionally prior to the enforcement period. The resulting photos will be utilized to highlight the interagency cooperation for local media and citizens. Several of these photos appear below.
Additional resources:
Utah Seat Belt Crash Fact Sheet
Media Contact:
Utah Highway Patrol PIO
801-554-5659
UTAH-IDAHO BORDER
Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, Utah Highway Patrol, Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office and Tremonton Police will participate in the Border to Border seat belt enforcement operation.
UTAH-WYOMING BORDER
Law enforcement officers from Park City Police Department, Utah Highway Patrol, Uinta County (WY) Sheriff’s Office, Evanston Police Department, Wyoming Highway Patrol and Summit County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the Border to Border enforcement operation.
UTAH-NEVADA BORDER
Officers from the Elko County Sheriff’s Office, West Wendover Police Department, Nevada Highway Patrol, Utah Highway Patrol, Wendover Police Department and Tooele County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the Border to Border seat belt enforcement operation.
UTAH-ARIZONA BORDER
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