NHP joins others to focus on drivers without seatbelts

The Nevada Highway Patrol will be joining other law enforcement agencies, looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing their seatblets as well as children not properly secured in booster seats.

Deputies and troopers across the state will be stopping drivers for different traffic offenses and issuing citations for seatbelt violations through December 2, 2017 in their "Joining Forces" campaign to save lives. .

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 14,000 lives in America were saved because they wore their seatbelt during 2015. Seat belt use in 2016 reached 90.1 percent, up from 88.5 percent in 2015; this was a statistically significant increase at the 0.05 level.

No matter how good those statistics are, no number under 100 percent should be acceptable.

Funding for the extra patrols is made possible by a Joining Forces grant received from the Nevada Department of Public Safety/Office of Traffic Safety. Joining Forces is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement program aimed at reducing injuries and crashes through statewide enforcement in the areas of: DUI, speed, distracted driving, seat belt and pedestrian safety. The goal of these enforcement campaigns is to save lives by increasing public awareness about the dangers of making poor choices while driving.

We remind you to ALWAYS wear your seat belt and to wear it PROPERLY EVERY TRIP….EVERY TIME! Shoulder belts snug over the shoulder (not under) and snug across your hips.

For resources and safety tips on why you should wear your seatbelt, please visit: http://www.zerofatalitiesnv.com/always-buckle-up/.