CHP to Crack Down on Failure to Wear Seat Belts
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
California Highway Patrol Commissioner D.O. “Spike” Helmick ordered a crackdown Tuesday on drivers who don’t wear seat belts, after Memorial Day weekend fatalities nearly doubled from a year ago.
Forty-three people died, up from 24 during the same period last year. Of those killed, 25, or 58%, were not wearing seat belts.
Helmick said investigating officers concluded that many of the victims could have lived had they been wearing safety belts. He cited statistics that show that motorists who use seat belts are 75% more likely to survive a crash.
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