State Receives Funds for Seat Belt Enforcement

Pennsylvania is one of only three states chosen to receive special funding through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to strengthen seat belt law enforcement, PennDOT said.

As a result of the grant, approximately $400,000 in federal funding has been distributed to 184 municipal police departments in 18 counties, including Dauphin County, that have low seat belt use and large populations. In addition, funds in Pennsylvania were distributed in Allegheny, Berks, Butler, Cambria, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Washington, Westmoreland and York.

In addition to the new program, the Pennsylvania State Police and 340 local police departments will participate in the national "Click It or Ticket" efforts from May 14-June 3 and November 19 - November 25.

Pennsylvania’s seat belt usage rate rose to 86 percent in 2006, a nearly three-percentage-point jump from 2005.