Click-it or Ticket campaign also targeting pickups

Kaua‘i Police Department officers have added a new wrinkle to their Click-it or Ticket campaign, targeting people riding in the back of pickup trucks.

As KPD officers step up enforcement of seat-belt violations, they remind drivers that for those wanting to ride in the bed of pickups, first every seat belt in the cab must be used.

“The biggest conception is that, if they’re over 12, they can sit in the back,” KPD officer Jason Overmeyer said yesterday.

But people riding in the bed of a pickup when there is a seat and seat belt available in the cab face an $87 violation for each rider.

“All seat-belt-related offenses we are looking at stepping up enforcement on,” Overmeyer warned. “So put your seat belt on, especially with” the possibility of receiving expensive tickets.

Also, riders in the back of a truck must be on the floor of the bed, not on a cooler, or a rail, or a lawn chair, as police have seen recently, Overmeyer said. The tailgate must be secured as well.

Those in the front should have their belts on, too.

Overmeyer said that drivers face a $92 violation for not wearing a seat belt, and drivers are liable for any children under 16 not wearing seat belts.

Kids under 4 must be in approved child-restraint seats, or the driver faces a fine and trip to court. A child found not in approved restraints by police means a mandatory courtroom visit for the driver, Overmeyer continued.

To check if a child seat is approved, take it to any American Medical Response ambulance station, Overmeyer added. Medical professionals there will not only check the seat, they’ll make sure it’s installed correctly, too, he said.

In Hawai‘i, like many states, a driver can be pulled over strictly for not having their seat belt fastened, and KPD officers have been out in force to make sure all on Kaua‘i are clicking it, Overmeyer concluded.

• Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.