Past Two Seat Belt Enforcement Efforts Net 75 Tickets

The past two Click It or Ticket enforcement efforts on busy roads in the immediate area have produced 75 tickets for seat belt and cell phone infractions, according to reports from  Metro Traffic Services.

Metro Traffic Services is a cooperative effort between area police departments and its services include checkpoints and crash scene reconstruction.

An enforcement checkpoint run by Coventry police on Tuesday on Route 44 from 7 to 11 a.m. produced 27 infractions, three written warnings and four Verbal warnings

The breakdown was:

• 18 seat belt infractions.
• 8 cell phone infractions.
• 2 traffic control signal infractions.
• 1 unregistered vehicle.

Five days earlier, Vernon police and members of Metro Traffic Services handed out tickets for 48 seat belt and cell phone infractions during a concentrated morning enforcement action on Whitney T. Ferguson Road, near the exit 66 on-ramp for Interstate-84 westbound. Only violators were pulled over, police said.

Vernon police spokesman William Meier said that in addition to the 40-plus  tickets, four vehicles were towed away for driver's license or registration  violations.

The federal Click It or Ticket program paid for the enforcement efforts.

Coventry police chief Mark Palmer said enforcement efforts will  continue in the area through Dec. 16.

"The intent is to promote voluntary compliance and to remind motorists
to always use good occupant protection safety sense, especially during this highly traveled holiday season," he said. "During this safe driving campaign, state and local police will also be enforcing speed, cell phone, distracted driving, and DUI laws. Please drive safely."