The Sturgeon Bay Police Department participated in the “Click It or Ticket” National Enforcement Mobilization from May 23 to June 5. This enforcement is part of a $15,000 traffic safety grant awarded to the police department to cover the expense of increasing traffic safety enforcement in the city.
Project Coordinator Officer Chad Hougaard says, “We concentrated 48 hours of overtime traffic enforcement in the city during the mobilization, focusing our attention on speeding, OWI and seat belt violations.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, when seat belts are worn correctly, the risk of fatal injury is reduced by 45 percent for front-seat passenger car occupants — and by 60 percent for pickup truck, SUV, and van occupants. However, nationally in 2009, 53 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants were NOT wearing seat belts.
Police Chief Arleigh Porter states, “Our objective during the mobilization is to save lives and reduce injury accidents through our enforcement to get voluntary compliance with Wisconsin’s mandatory safety belt law. We need safe streets for our children, our residents and the tourists who visit our city this summer.”
During the 14-day enforcement period, the Sturgeon Bay Police Department made 273 traffic stops, which resulted in the issuance of 144 traffic citations and 108 written warnings. The following citations and/or arrests were made during the traffic stops:
46 Seat belt violations
28 Speeding violations
7 OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) violations
3 Open intoxicants in vehicle violations
7 OAR (operating after revocation) / OWS (operating whiled suspended) violations
8 Vehicle Registration violations
10 Stop/Signal violations
1 Vehicle equipment violation
34 Miscellaneous violations (i.e.: operating with no valid license, no auto insurance)
2 Drug arrests
1 Warrant arrest
