Alabama roads are expected to be busy this Memorial Day holiday and it will be under the watchful eye of the law. Alabama State Troopers, police and other law enforcement will be swarming the highways and bi-ways to making sure everyone is following the rules of the road.
The increase of traffic for Memorial Day weekend is leading state troopers to urge drivers to stay safe.
"What we want to do is get out and inform people just in terms of being a reminder to actively obey all speed laws and that includes wearing our seat belts and certainly with 'Click It or Ticket' it we want to encourage people to wear their seat belts," said Trooper Curtis Summerville.
It's a message that Susan Maples takes to heart. She lost her parents in a car accident 13 years ago. She said she buckles up every time she's in her car.
"I never move my truck without being buckled up," Maples said. "I've made it a practice that if anybody is in the car with me, its buckle up or we don't go," Maples said.
The seat belt law applies to the driver, front seat passengers and children 15 years and younger. Troopers said click or ticket is a no tolerance campaign.
"We look at data that we get from various crashes throughout the state of Alabama and nationally and the vast majority of crashes we've had here in the state of Alabama nearly 70% of those people were not wearing seat belts," Summerville said.
Seat belt usage in the state was at 52% before the seat belt law; it's now at 82% percent.
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