Local law enforcement officers announce new safety programs

Contributed
Published: May 15, 2008

In 2006, 15,046 passenger vehicle occupants died in motor vehicle crashes between the nighttime hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – and 64 percent of those passenger vehicle occupants were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crashes.
The proportion of unbuckled deaths at night is considerably higher than the alarming 46 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were killed and were not wearing their seat belts during daytime hours across the nation that same year.
That’s why the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is joining with state and local law enforcement agencies and highway safety officials May 19 to June 1 to launch an aggressive national “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement mobilization to increase seat belt use and reduce highway fatalities. Statistics provided by NHTSA’s observational study conducted by the Orange Sheriff’s Office locally indicated that approximately 16 percent of the drivers counted in the study were not wearing their seat belts while driving on Orange County roadways.
In April 2008, the Orange Sheriff’s Office received a mid-term grant from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to fund overtime enforcement of traffic laws in Orange County. The money from this grant will enable the sheriff’s office to provide at least 40 hours of overtime traffic enforcement, two traffic checkpoints, and at least one saturation patrol during the May through June 1 “Click It or Ticket” time period to enforce traffic laws in an attempt to reduce traffic crashes. The deputies involved in this increased enforcement action will be concentrating only on traffic violations.
In 2006, there were 481 total motor vehicle crashes in Orange County with six fatalities and 231 serious injuries. Of those crashes, 9.3 percent involved alcohol, 5.8 percent weren’t using restraints and 25.6 percent were speeding.
In 2004, there were 503 total motor vehicle crashes in Orange County with six fatalities and 234 serious injuries. Of those crashes, 9.5 percent involved alcohol, 9.3 percent weren’t using restraints and 30.4 percent were speeding.
It is clear from the statistics that seat belts save lives, but too many people still do not wear their seat belts. The Orange Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up its efforts at enforcing the traffic laws during the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization in an effort to make the roadways of Orange County safer. Wearing your seat belt costs you nothing, but not wearing it certainly will. So unless you want to risk a ticket, or worse – your life – please remember to buckle up day and night – “Click It or Ticket.”

The Town of Orange Police Department will begin conducting a child identification program at the Farmers’ Market in Taylor Park each Wednesday from 12-2 p.m., weather permitting.
The program began May 14. The identification kit will consist of fingerprints, a digital photograph with the child’s information and a DNA sample. These items will be contained in an envelope that the parent will keep. There is no charge for this program. The child identification program will also be offered at events such as the Street Festival and the Orange Downtown Alliance Downtown Trick or Treat/Orange County Office on Youth Child Safety Fair.
The 12-2 p.m. period was chosen to allow parents with pre-school age children to participate during the school year, in anticipation of increased participation of school-age children during the summer months.
If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a child identification program for small groups, please contact the town of Orange Police Department at 540-672-1491.