PennDOT, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Buckle Up PA, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) and local police from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, yesterday held a media event at the Philadelphia Union Talen Energy Stadium in the City of Chester, to kick-off the Border-to-Border seat belt enforcement campaign as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign through June 2.

Through enforcement and public awareness activities, supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), municipal police departments across southeast Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State Police will conduct seat belt enforcement to send a ‘zero tolerance’ message to motorists driving unbuckled.

On May 20th, police departments across state lines, through the Border-to-Border campaign, will be working together to make sure all motorists are buckled up. 

PennDOT teamed up with Philadelphia Union Soccer in hopes of reaching more young people to send the message to buckle up. Following the event, PennDOT safety partners, American Academy of Pediatrics – PA Chapter, Chester County Highway Safety and the Delaware County Transportation Management Association demonstrated the proper installment procedures for child passenger seats. 

Under Pennsylvania’s law, all drivers and front seat passengers must wear a seat belt. If you are transporting passengers ages 8 to 18, they must wear a seatbelt regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle. Children under the age of 4, must be in an approved child safety seat and children under 2 must be in a rear-facing car seat until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designated by the car seat manufacturer. Children age 4 to up to age 8 must be restrained in a booster seat.

Proper seat belt use can increase your chances of surviving a crash by up to 60 percent. According to PennDOT 2017 data, there were 4,836 unbelted crashes in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, with 79 fatalities in those crashes. 2018 preliminary data is not yet available.

To learn more about seat belt safety and other PennDOT safety initiatives visit www.penndot.gov/safety.