Freehold Served 1,016 Citations During Click It or Ticket

Freehold Township and Freehold Borough served a combined total of 1,016 tickets during the national Click It or Ticket campaign, 577 of which were for seat belt violations.

From May 20 through June 2, law enforcement officials took part in the 2013 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization. The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety awarded a number of police departments, including Eatontown, Freehold Township and Middletown, $4,000 grants.

During that timeframe, more than 4,687 tickets were served throughout Monmouth County for various violations. Police departments throughout the county gave out 1,341 tickets for seat belt infractions. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. That same year, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide. 

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” Division of Highway Traffic Safety Acting Director Gary Poedubicky previously said. “We want everyone to have a safe summer, but it requires an important step on the part of motorists – clicking that seat belt.”

By law, all motorists and passengers in the front seat are required to wear a seat belt or be securely buckled in a car seat, or face a $46 fine. The ticket is issued to the driver.

In 2010, legislation passed made it a secondary offense for adults over the age of 18 to ride unbuckled in the back seat of a motor vehicle. Police can issue a $46 fine to unrestrained adults in the back seat when the car they are riding in is pulled over for another violation.

Participating police departments reported seat belt violations as well as other citations that were given. In Monmouth County, there was a total of 73 DWIs, 15 child restraint citations, 87 felony arrests, one stolen vehicle, 111 fugitives apprehended, 143 suspended license violations, 36 uninsured drivers, 199 speeding citations, 72 reckless drivers, 58 drug arrests and 2,551 other violations.

Last year, the state mobilization resulted in 29,307 seat belt citations. Police officers also wrote 981 child restraint and 4,951 speeding citations, and made 861 DWI arrests.

The following is the break down of the tickets served in Freehold Township and Freehold Borough during the 2013 Click It or Ticket campaign. Freehold Borough did not receive funding for this campaign but still participated. 

• DWI: Freehold Township- 11; Freehold Borough- 1
• Seat Belt: Freehold Township- 560; Freehold Borough- 17
• Child Restraint: Freehold Township- 5; Freehold Borough- 0
• Felony Arrest: Freehold Township- 0; Freehold Borough- 2
• Stolen Vehicle: Freehold Township- 0; Freehold Borough- 0
• Fugitive Apprehended: Freehold Township- 10; Freehold Borough- 0
• Suspended License: Freehold Township- 7; Freehold Borough- 1
• Uninsured Driver: Freehold Township- 3; Freehold Borough- 1
• Speeding: Freehold Township- 41; Freehold Borough- 3
• Reckless Driving: Freehold Township- 2; Freehold Borough- 0
• Drug Arrest: Freehold Township- 0; Freehold Borough- 1
• Other Violations: Freehold Township- 227; Freehold Borough- 124