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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


5.22.2007

 

Is it clicking?

The state police have launched their just-in-time-for-summer "Click It or Ticket" campaign with just one flaw.

In Vermont, it really should be "If you don't click it, and you do something else wrong, you could get a ticket." Admittedly a lot less catchy, but that's the way it works here. Police can't stop you just because of the seat belt thing, but they can ticket you for that if they stop you for something else.

Nonetheless, Vermont joined in the national "Click It or Ticket" campaign. Signs along the interstate and TV ads featuring Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie flash the phrase. Twenty-five states have seat-belt laws that allow police to pull somebody over for not wearing one.

The Legislature once again this year toyed with making seat belt a "primary enforcement" issue, with the lure of $3.7 million in federal money for road safety improvements, but in the end ran into resistance from those who think that's too Big Brotherish.

Should Vermont click into the routine of most other states, as police would like? Or does that go too far in giving up rights, as a few key legislators and the governor believe?

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
Terri, you say "most states", but later say only 25 states have this. Wouldn't the word “most” imply that more the 50% of the states do?

As for the questions, I do not think police should have the right to pull over Vermonters for not wearing their seat belt.
 
Good point. Most is not half. I stand corrected.
- TH
 
Do the police really have that much free time?
 
The click it or ticket thing is just a tool for police to use to pull you over in order to give you a closer inspection with the hopes of being able to charge you with some other violation.

Seat belt checkpoints are hardly that since by the time you realize that its a checkpoint, you can easily put your seat belt on before getting close enough for them to be able to visually verify.
 
"Good point. Most is not half. I stand corrected.
- TH"

Couldn't really resist pointing this out: the quote actually is "most other states [other than VT]." Therefore it is 25 out of 49 which is more than 50%, so the original use of most is correct.
 
Who were those two cute BFP reporters out jogging this noon? Were they checking for seatbealt useage as the trotted along the streets of Montpelier?
 
Whoa
 
We should leave it as it is and keep it as a secondary violation. No fed blackmail.
 
Here, here.
 
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