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Buckle Up for safety and to avoid tickets — “E Fusi pe Tusi”

[photo: BC]
blue@samoanews.com

Save yourself from paying a hefty fine or serving possible jail time by buckling up. Officers from the Department of Public Safety are cracking down on all drivers  – and passengers – not wearing seatbelts.

In addition, cops will be issuing citations for other violations including children riding in vehicles without car seats, busted headlights, broken taillights, expired license plates, driving under the influence, etc.

The Click it or Ticket enforcement kicked off Monday, to coincide with Police Week.

Enforcement will continue throughout the busy graduation season, when a number of teenagers – and adults – tend to find themselves behind the wheel while intoxicated.

Graduation season begins this Friday with the first commencement exercise: the American Samoa Community College. (A complete list of dates for each scheduled graduation ceremony for all local high schools, including Manu’a, is printed in Samoa News).

Program Manager for the Office of Highway Safety, David Bird, who is charged with publicizing the Click it or Ticket enforcement every year, says the goal of the mobilization is not only to ensure the safety of the traveling public, but to bring American Samoa within compliance as far as seatbelt and car seat usage.

“People need to realize that wearing seatbelts and buckling up the little ones can save a life,” Bird said. “It’s all about preventing unnecessary deaths.”

Motorists who are pulled over for not wearing seatbelts should not expect to get a second chance, especially with the Department of Public Safety going online and issuing etickets that will send all the information to the judicial system, via the internet.

“Click it or Ticket” – “E Fusi pe Tusi”