Sun staff
The national Click it or Ticket campaign is beginning soon, and the village of Batavia Police Department officers plan to ramp up their participation this year.
The campaign will run from May 18-31. During that time, officers will be working on educating the public not just on seatbelts, but also on the dangers of texting and driving and on general traffic safety, said Chris McMillan, Batavia’s canine handler.
McMillan was the driving force behind the department’s decision to increase their participation in the campaign this year and he worked to get the materials, Chief Michael Gardner said.
The department is growing, McMillan said, and he feels this campaign is a good way to interact with the community, especially high school students.
McMillan hopes to teach drivers on the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt and of texting and driving. He believes that education will save lives.
During the campaign, officers will be on the road more, and paying special attention to traffic safety, McMillan said.
Police officers will also be going to the high school twice to observe students leaving and to pass out literature on seatbelts and texting, McMillan said.
“Hopefully we can enlighten them a little bit on the dangers of texting and driving and the benefits of wearing a seatbelt,” McMillan said.
To promote the campaign, the department has put up signs and put “Click it or Ticket” and “Stay Alive Don’t Text and Drive” magnets on all the cruisers, McMillan said.
Once the campaign is over, the department will submit information to the state about how many drivers are wearing their seatbelt versus how many aren’t, McMillan said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation sponsor the Click it or Ticket campaign.