Road checks for seat belts start Monday

By Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nearly one in five Americans fail to wear seat belts regularly, according to state officials.

With that in mind, Georgia police agencies begin their annual Click It or Ticket campaign Monday. Police will be running roadchecks day and night through June 6 and ticketing those who aren't buckled up.

"The worry of getting a traffic ticket is sometimes the only motivation for some drivers to fasten their safety belt," said Bob Dallas, director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

For a first offense, the fine is $15 for adults. In addition, the driver will be fined $25 if a passenger 6 to 17 is found to be unbuckled.

Seat belts saved 521 lives in Georgia traffic accidents last year, officials said.

In July, a Georgia law goes into effect requiring the use of seat belts in pickup trucks. Previously, only people in cars, vans and SUVs had to buckle up.

The new law exempts off-road vehicles and pickups used for farming.