ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University Police will have "zero tolerance" for people who don't wear their seatbelts during an enforcement campaign on campus April 22-26.

Officers will conduct random road checks and issue tickets to drivers and passengers who are not "buckled up." This action follows an awareness campaign by Cornell Police for the past two weeks, during which they handed out warning brochures to motorists.

Special emphasis will be placed on Cornell employees driving and riding in university-owned vehicles, said Sgt. Charles Howard, coordinator of traffic enforcement activities. Cornell Police are working with the Department of Risk Management and Insurance to ensure that people traveling in the approximately 1,000 Cornell-owned vehicles are traveling safely.

Cornell Police conducted a survey in April 2001 that showed occupants of clearly identifiable Cornell-owned vehicles had a seatbelt compliance rate of only 41 percent, Howard said. Other campus drivers and occupants had a compliance rate of 69 percent, below the New York state average of 77 percent.

"We learned that too many people believe they do not need to wear seatbelts during short trips on campus," Howard said. "We want to educate people that accidents can happen anytime and anywhere."

New York state law mandates that seatbelts must be worn by all front seat occupants regardless of age and by all rear seat passengers under age 16. All children under age 4 must be restrained in a federally approved car seat. Drivers and front seat passengers 16 and older may be fined up to $50 for not wearing seatbelts. Drivers are responsible for all passengers under 16.

The seatbelt safety campaign is part of Cornell Police's ongoing efforts to improve traffic safety on campus. The department has received three grants to enhance its education and enforcement efforts, two of them from the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Cornell Police also received one of 10 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants awarded to universities nationwide.

More information can be found at http://www.cupolice.cornell.edu.

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