Memorial Day weekend is behind us, but the annual Click It or Ticket mobilization continues, with the focus on “click-it” rather than “ticket.”
Governor Scott Walker had proposed increasing the fine to $56 for not wearing a seat belt, but that plan failed last month at the Capitol. Even so, motorists caught unbuckled will be ticketed. “It’s still $10, but what we’ve been telling officers is to write the ticket.” David Pabst is with the Bureau of Transportation Safety at the DOT. “It may be only $10, but it does change behavior.”
The message to buckle up is being reinforced with a media campaign featuring former Green Bay Packer Donald Driver. “The whole idea here is to get voluntary compliance,” Pabst said, “Click it so you don’t get that ticket. Just survive … and have a safe, safe summer.”
Wisconsin’s seat-belt fine has remained the same since the late 1980s. No points are added to the driving record. The Click It or Ticket campaign continues through May 31.
The Joint Finance Committee voted last month to reject Walker’s budget proposal to increase the seat belt violation fee. Some states have raised their seat-belt fines to $100 and beyond.
Wisconsin’s primary enforcement law means drivers can be stopped solely for being unbuckled. Previously, law enforcement could only issue seat-belt fines after stopping a driver for another traffic violation.
