COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be joining forces with other members of the 6-State Trooper Project to focus on safety belt enforcement. The initiative began on Monday, May 24 at 12:01 a.m. and will continue through Monday, May 31 at 11:59 p.m.
The high-visibility enforcement will include the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the West Virginia State Police, as well as OSHP.
This effort coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Click it or Ticket campaign.
The three year average of fatalities has increased by 22 percent. Year-to-date from 2018 through 2021, Ohio is averaging 342 traffic fatalities.
“Properly wearing a safety belt increases a person’s chance of surviving a crash,” said Colonel Richard S. Fambro. “It’s a simple step. One that is proven to save lives.”
Ohio’s safety belt law remains a secondary violation; however, troopers will continue zero-tolerance enforcement when motorists are stopped for other violations and are found to not be wearing their safety belt.
The 6-State Trooper Project is a multi-state law enforcement partnership aimed at providing combined and coordinated law enforcement and security services in the areas of highway safety, criminal patrol and intelligence sharing.