Police to start new enforcement effort

    HOULTON — In their latest effort to reduce the number of people killed and injured on the road, the Houlton Police Department will begin pulling over and citing drivers beginning April 1 for not wearing safety belts.
    The campaign is part of the state’s new primary safety belt law, which went into effect in September 2007. April 1 marks the beginning of the enforcement phase of the new law. Until then, drivers were only given written warnings under the laws “education” phase.
     “Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death and injury. Wearing a safety belt dramatically increases your chance of surviving a crash or escaping serious injury,” said Chief Butch Asselin.
     In total, 188 people were killed and 1,000 were seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes on Maine Roadways in 2006. According to the federal Fatal Accident Reporting System, 50 percent of those deaths involved motorists who were not wearing a safety belt.
     The Houlton Police Department is joining with other local departments and the Maine State Police in a statewide effort led by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety to enforce the law and educate motorists about the importance of buckling up.
     “Motorists have had seven months to become aware of the new law and make the transition. Now we need to start enforcing the law in order to save as many lives and avoid as many serious injuries as possible,” said Chief Asselin.