David Y. Ige

HONOLULU –As Memorial Day approaches, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and its traffic safety partners are reminding Hawaii drivers and passengers of the importance of wearing seat belts through the annual Click It or Ticket campaign. This year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization will run from May 20 through June 2. During the mobilization, all four county police departments will conduct increased enforcement of Hawaii’s seat belt laws.

“Seat belts are essential for safe driving and riding,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Jade Butay. “We want to remind everyone that buckling up every trip, every time might save their life.”

In 2017, 21 of the 60 of motor vehicle occupants that died in Hawaii were unrestrained. Records also show the number of unrestrained motor vehicle occupant fatalities increased at night.

HDOT has issued federal grants to the four county police departments for overtime enforcement of Hawaii’s seat belt and child restraint laws. During federal fiscal year 2018, the four county police departments issued 12,051 citations for failure to use a seat belt and 1,160 citations for failure to use child restraints.

“We thank the four county police departments for joining us during the national Click It or Ticket campaign and for seat belt and child restraint enforcement day and night, year-round,” Butay said. “Not buckling up yourself or your keiki could cost more than $102 if you’re lucky, and your life or the life or the life of someone you love if you aren’t.”

In addition to the enforcement mobilization, HDOT will display “Click It or Ticket” on all available HDOT electronic message boards statewide and has distributed banners and posters to police departments statewide.

Information on how to safely restrain children in a motor vehicle can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/child-passenger-safety/ or here.

For more information on the national Click It or Ticket mobilization and national seat belt statistics, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot

Hawaii’s Seat Belt and Child Restraint Laws

Hawaii’s universal seat belt law requires that all front and back seat motor vehicle occupants buckle up. Adults and children must use their seat belts and child passenger restraints at all times. The fine for unrestrained occupants on Oahu, Hawaii and Maui is $102, and the fine on Kauai is $112. Drivers will receive one citation for every unrestrained occupant in the vehicle. Violators convicted of the child passenger restraint law are required to attend a four-hour class and be assessed a fine between $100 and $500, depending on the number of convictions.

Hawaii’s Child Passenger Restraint law requires children under 4 years of age to ride in a child safety seat. The law also requires children 4 through 7 years old to ride in a child restraint or booster seat.

 

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