Buckle up- or pay a fine

The Thousand Oaks Traffic Bureau are on the lookout for motorists not wearing seat belts and will be out in force on Memorial Day weekend. This special enforcement period, which runs through June 5, is part of the state's "Click It or Ticket" campaign. When officers write citations, compliance with the law, saving lives and preventing injuries is the goal.

The 961 traffic fatalities in California collisions last year who didn't wear their seat belts had one thing in common-they didn't think it could happen to them. Taking a few seconds to buckle a safety belt is the most effective thing a person can do to save their life.

The 2005 California Seat Belt Use Survey revealed that 92.5 percent of all vehicle occupants wear their seat belts. That leaves 2.7 million people who don't buckle up on California roadways. These individuals stand a good chance of beign cited during this campaign.

The fines for seat belt violations range from $91 for a first offense to $193 for a second offense. Courts in California are very concerned about children under 16 that aren't properly secured in a vehicle. If cited, drivers may receive a one point count on their driving record with a maximum fine of $340 for the first offense and $871 for a second offense.

The California Office of Traffic Safety recently awarded

more than $4.8 million to about 250 enforcement agencies to pay for officer overtime associated with this seat belt enforcement.

The Thousand Oaks Police Department is partnering with the California Office of Traffic Safety in this campaign to improve the safety of drivers and passengers who travel through the city.