Paris, Tenn. – The Paris Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office to step up seat belt enforcement during July 4th holidays, through July 8th 2018. The increase in saturation patrols will specifically target those that are not wearing a seat belt.
“Every day, unbuckled motorists are losing their lives in motor vehicle crashes,” said Paris Police Chief Chuck Elizondo. “As we enter the summer vacation season, we want to make sure people are doing the one thing that can save them in a crash—buckling up.”
Tennessee reached its highest seat belt usage percentage last year at 88.95% in 2016. However, Tennessee is still considered a “low use” state on a national level. According to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, over half of Tennessee’s traffic fatalities were not restrained at the time of the crash.
It is vitally important that all drivers and passengers buckle up every trip, every time. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most fatal crashes happen within 25 miles from home and at speeds of less than 40 miles per hour.
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