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The University of Maine Public Safety participated in a nationwide effort to make sure students are buckling up when traveling home for the holidays this year. Checkpoints were set up at campus exits Nov. 25-26 to stop cars and make sure students were wearing seat belts as they traveled home for Thanksgiving break.
The effort, called “Operation ABC,” included 12,000 other law enforcement agencies from around the country.
“We wanted people to be highly aware and safe when they are traveling more this time of year thanks to Thanksgiving and Christmas,” UMaine Public Safety Officer Leroy Patterson said.
Roadblocks were set up in two locations, at the Rangley Road and Gym Drive, by the Field House, from noon to 4 p.m. both days. Patterson, who oversaw the program, said that the checkpoints were conducted at these locations because they are areas of heavy traffic.
At the roadblocks, safety handouts were distributed, and students who were not wearing seatbelts were told to do so because it is a Maine state law.
“It’s a safety thing, but also state law says to buckle up,” Patterson said.
Patterson said that about 10 percent of the vehicles that went through the roadblock had passengers that were not buckled up. Students who Public Safety saw put on their seat belts as they pulled up to the roadblock were counted as not wearing a seat belt, he said. Drivers and passengers who were seen without their seat belts were just warned, no tickets were issued.
“We found [that out of] approximately 1,500 cars that came through, 150 were unbuckled in the day and a half that we held the roadblocks,” Patterson said.
Not only students benefited from Operation ABC, but parents who passed through the check points were reminded how important it is for their children to be buckled up as well, Patterson said.
On hand to participate in the program were the Crash Test Dummies, Vince and Larry.
“They showed the importance and provided humor that helped the campaign,” Patterson said.
Patterson said that he hopes the seat belt checkpoints can be conducted more than once a year and at different times in the year. He said that if the seat belt checks are performed again this year, citations may be issued for people who are not buckled up.
If a person is caught not wearing his or her seat belt, there is a $65 fine.
“We care about the safety and well being of our students, both when they are here and when they are away,” Public Safety Chief Noel March said in a UMaine press release. “We hope that Operation ABC will create an awareness that will help assure that our students, faculty members and staff members have a safe and enjoyable holiday.”
