Breaux Bridge Police Want You To “Buckle Up In Your Truck”

The Breaux Bridge Police Department is taking part in the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission's campaign "Buckle Up In Your Truck".

Statistics from LHSC show that anyone riding or driving a pickup truck are those least likely to buckle their seat belts.

Regular seat belt compliance in Louisiana for 2014 was 84.1 percent, but only 78.5 percent for pickup trucks.

Police across the state are asking everyone to fasten their seat belts, and the "Buckle Up In Your Truck" campaign is aiming to raise awareness about people being killed because they are not buckled up.   The campaign runs through April 30.

Breaux Bridge Police Chief Rollie Cantu says,

"No more warnings. No more excuses. We're going to send the 'Buckle Up In Your Truck' message out loud and clear.  Too many pickup truck drivers and their passengers are getting killed, so we want to make sure they are buckled up - every trip, every time."

For the Lafayette regional area, only 80.1 percent of pickup truck riders and drivers buckle their seat belts.  Cantu says that's got to change.

Cantu adds,

"We are going to step up enforcement efforts to remind pickup truck occupants to always wear their safety belts.  The simple step of buckling up is the single best defense against ejections and will increase your odds of survival in light trucks by as much as 80 percent in the event of a rollover crash."

Rollovers are twice as likely to happen in pickup trucks.