Page 2 The Shoreline June, 1999
PKS Police
Dept...
Zero Tolerance For Drivers
With Unbuckled Children
It is time for zero tolerance for drivers
with unbuckled children. Traffic crashes are
the leading cause of death for American
children of all races. It's the law in North
Carolina and in all states that children must be
restrained. But because adults are breaking
the law, children are being crippled and killed
in car crashes every day. In fact, six out of ten
children who die in crashes are not buckled up
at all! Of those, nearly half would be alive
today if they had just been buckled up. We
should be using every means possible to make
sure every child in Pine Knoll Shores is buckled
up.
Beginning the week of May 24, 1999
the Pine Knoll Shores Police Department is
joining with thousands of law enforcement
agencies in all 50 states in the next nationwide
Operation ABC Mobilization, and is declaring
ZERO tolerance for drivers unbuckled and
drivers who are endangering children by
neglecting to buckle them up properly. Drivers
who do not obey North Carolina's adult and
child passenger safety law will be stopped and
enforcement action will be taken.
We know that these nationwide
crackdowns are making a difference and
saving lives. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration reports that the
Mobilizations q.ox\6ucXq.(^ in 1998 played a key
role in prompting 19 million more Americans
to buckle up-- the largest, single-year increase
in seat belt use in eight years. It's estimated
that this increase will result in 1500 lives
saved each year.
Nothing is more devastating to an
officer than breaking the news to parents that
their child has been killed or critically injured.
And, knowing that enforcement not only works
but also will spare families a lifetime of pain
and regret, we must declare a ZERO
TOLERANCE for drivers with unbuckled
children.
Our officers will also be stepping up
enforcement of adult seat belt laws, because
it's a proven fact that most adults, who don't
buckle up themselves, don't buckle up kids.
Recent studies have found that a buckled
driver is three times more likely to buckle up
a child.
The Pine Knoll Shores Police
Department can no longer tolerate so many
preventable tragedies-hurt children and
despairing families. Too many of these deaths
and injuries could have been prevented if only
the adults had done their job to protect
vulnerable children.
We must stop drivers who don't buckle
up themselves and their children. Our lives
and our children's lives depend on it.
North Carolina's Seat Belt Laws: All
adults must have seatbelts buckled (if the
passenger is unbuckled and is an adult (16
years old) that person will receive the citation,
for any unbuckled child or child under 4 not in
car seat the driver will be cited. The fine/cost
is currently $25.
Congratulations to Officer Donald
Collins who earned his Associates Degree
in Criminal Justice on May 12, 1999. Don
graduated with honors from Carteret
Community College.
Congratulations to Officers Donald
Collins and Tyron Mann with the Pine Knoll
Shores Police Department who will receive
the "Governor's Award for Bravery and
Heroism" on June 24, 1999 in Raleigh.
This award provides statewide recognition
for those individuals who have, through
some act of extreme heroism,
distinguished themselves among North
Carolinians. This honor and award will be
presented by our Governor, James B.
Hunt, Jr. The Pine Knoll Shores Police
Department and I'm certain the
community are proud of our officers!
Submitted by: Police Chief Mary Muhlig