Lake Charles –
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office is participating in the crackdown on unrestrained drivers. The “Buckle Up In Your Truck,” campaign that will start April 20 and end April 26 is a partnership with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC). This campaign is funded by grant money from the LHSC.
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct a seatbelt checkpoint at an undisclosed location in the parish on Thursday, April 26. This checkpoint will target people who are not wearing their seatbelt in pick-up trucks, as well as any other types of vehicles.
According to the LHSC, pick-up truck drivers and their passengers have the lowest seat belt usage rate in the state. Pick-up trucks comprise 27% of the vehicles on the road in Louisiana and are two times more likely to rollover than cars in fatal crashes. The LHSC also states that only 82% of pickup truck drivers and 86% of their passengers are wearing seatbelts; compared to 89% of people who drive cars and 88% of their passengers. “Unfortunately we sometimes see the deadly results that come from drivers and passengers refusing to wear their seatbelt. Wearing a seatbelt is one of the most important steps that could save your life in a crash. Our job is to stop those who are not buckled up, and keep them from becoming a statistic,” said Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso.