’Tis the season to be jolly — within the legal limits.
The island police aim to keep the roads and neighborhoods safe during the holiday season.
In Bradenton Beach, police want to ensure people don’t over-indulge and drive.
“We’ll be doing our normal enforcement. For the holidays, we’ll pick it up to make sure people aren’t drinking and driving,” said Bradenton Beach Detective Sgt. Lenard Diaz.
In Anna Maria and Holmes Beach, law enforcement will be participating in the “Click-it-or-Ticket Florida” program.
The seat belt enforcement effort in Anna Maria will be ongoing for the next month and a half, according to Sgt. Paul Davis, head of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office substation.
Since 1986, Florida law has required motorists and front seat passengers to wear safety belts and, in June 2009, the law expanded to allow law enforcement to initiate a stop for motorists suspected of not wearing seat belts.
Current law requires safety belts for all drivers and passengers of motorized vehicles, except for garbage collectors, newspaper deliverers, people in vehicles federally exempted from safety-belt restrictions and those with certain medical conditions.
According to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Council, seat belt use in 2014 remained at 87 percent in the South.
Since 1995, NHTSC reports a national trend correlating to lives saved with seat belt use.
“I’d rather see everyone buckling up and being safe than to have to give tickets,” Davis said.
A ticket costs $116.
Both motorists and passengers over 18 years old can be ticketed.