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COLUMBUS — Troopers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol will join forces with other members of the 6-State Trooper Project next week to focus on safety belt enforcement.
The week-long initiative will take place beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 23, through Monday, May 30 at 11:59 p.m.
This high-visibility enforcement effort also will include the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the West Virginia State Police.
In 2015, 473 people died in traffic crashes on Ohio’s roadways while not wearing a seat belt, out of 776 total deaths. In the last five years, 61 percent of traffic fatalities in Ohio were unbelted.
“We prioritize safety belt enforcement because of the clear evidence that they save lives,” said Colonel Paul Pride, patrol superintendent. “You can’t predict if or when you’ll be in a crash, so you should always be prepared. All motorists should buckle up every trip, every time.”
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.