Bradford, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania State Police today held a media event outside of Dunham’s Sports at the Bradford Mall to discuss safe driving and urge motorists to buckle up. They were joined by the New York State Police, as well as Bradford City, Bradford Township and Foster Township police departments, and the Cattaraugus County (NY) Sheriff’s Office, all of which will be participating in a one-day Border to Border (B2B) Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization on Monday, May 24.

“Seat belts are your best defense while driving because they reduce the risk of serious injury or death by almost two-thirds,” said Tom Zurat, PennDOT District Executive. “Enforcement mobilizations like this one are not about writing citations or generating revenue. They’re about educating the public and saving lives.”

At the event, Trooper Bruce Morris of the Pennsylvania State Police worked to dispel many misconceptions about seat belt usage. He said many pickup truck drivers believe they can safely ride unrestrained due to the larger size of their vehicles, but National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash data shows 58 percent of pickup truck occupants killed in 2019 were unrestrained versus 43 percent of passenger vehicle occupants.

Trooper Morris also addressed those who mistakenly believe it is safe to ride in the backseat of a passenger vehicle unrestrained. He explained NHTSA data also shows 45 percent of all front-seat passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019 were unrestrained versus 58 percent in back seats.

Lastly, Trooper Morris refuted the notion that drivers on rural roads are less likely to be killed in a crash when unrestrained. He said there were 11,971 passenger vehicle fatalities in rural locations, compared to 10,187 fatalities in urban locations. Of the fatalities, 48 percent of those killed in the rural locations were not wearing their seat belts, compared to 45 percent in urban locations.

The one-day B2B on May 24 is part of the wider Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization beginning Monday, May 17, and continuing through Sunday, June 6. During the mobilization, motorists who receive a citation for a traffic violation will receive a second citation if they are unbuckled.

For more information on seat belts, visit www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.

For regional traffic updates, follow www.twitter.com/511PAAltoona, www.twitter.com/511PAErie, www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL. 

MEDIA CONTACT:  Timothy Nebgen, 814-765-0598 or 814-360-3838

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