By Elijah Westbrook
You’ve probably seen one of these memorable click it or ticket commercials on television at some point in the past few years. These commercials are meant to show drivers that many states are strictly enforcing the law on people not wearing seat belts.
According to the New Haven Police Department, a ticket for simply running a stop sign can cost you as much as $200 here in Connecticut.
Media Liaison for the New Haven Police Department, David Hartman, says initiatives have been put in place to reduce the amount of traffic accidents. The initiatives are simply giving out tickets. According to Hartman, tickets are a good thing.
“It provides people in general instructions on how to drive safely,” says Hartman.
Hartman says the number of reported car accidents in recent years has generally stayed the same in Connecticut. However he says there are many factors that cause accidents on the road such as inclement weather, the time of day and even if the driver is under the influence or not.
“It acts exactly what it’s supposed to do. You know it does generate revenue for the state and it does go back to the city, but there aren’t any quotas for any of this stuff,” says Hartman.
Auto insurance companies like State Farm have their own programs, which help drivers stay safe on the road.
“We have a driver’s ‘Safe and Save’ program which is instituted from our cooperate offices. It’s a little device that goes in and it helps you become more conscious on what you do. So it records jack rabbit stops and unnecessary accelerations,” says Chris Bomgbaye.
State Farm Agent Chris Bomgbaye agrees there is a correlation between traffic tickets and the amount of car accidents that occur.
“So if you are looking at speeding tickets or traffic tickets, that still seems to be the number one major factors in terms of causing accidents,” says Bomgbaye.
According to researchers, traffic deaths occur most during the summer months. As of 2012, over 8,000 people have died on the roads and highways. With the start of the “Click it or Ticket” program, the overall number of tickets given out has increased by 1 percent. As a result, traffic accidents have dropped nearly .28 percent.
However it’s not just drivers that need to be more careful but also pedestrians. The Town of Hamden says they are doing their part by better synchronizing traffic lights, repaving streets and even installing more cameras to catch people not obeying the law. This will improve the safety of those both in cars and on the street.
