The NOPD recently received a grant from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission that will allow officers to participate in the “Buckle Up in Your Truck” program, in a high-visibility enforcement and awareness campaign April 17-24 to encourage seat belt usage and reduce unrestrained fatalities among our pick-up truck drivers and passengers.

As part of this campaign, officers will be out in the community watching out for unrestrained drivers, particularly in pickup trucks. The goal of the “Buckle Up in Your Truck” campaign is to enforce seat belt laws, educate occupants and increase seat belt use in order to save lives.

“Taking the time to buckle up before every trip is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash,” NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. “We are proud to take part in this education and enforcement campaign to help our community better understand and appreciate the necessity of seat belt usage.”

According to the LHSC, pick-up truck drivers and their passengers have the lowest seat belt usage rate in the state.  Pick-up trucks comprise 27% of the vehicles on the road in Louisiana and are two times more likely to rollover than cars in fatal crashes.  The LHSC also states that only 82% of pickup truck drivers and 86% of their passengers are wearing seatbelts; compared to 89% of people who drive cars and 88% of their passengers.

“Unfortunately, we sometimes see the deadly results that come from drivers and passengers refusing to wear their seatbelt,” NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. “Wearing a seatbelt is one of the most important steps that could save your life in a crash.  Our job is to stop those who are not buckled up and keep them from becoming a statistic.”