Police target Kahului seat-belt violators

Advertiser Staff

KAHULUI, Maui — Maui police are cracking down on folks who don't buckle up.

Police in Kahului issued 171 citations for seat-belt violations over a five-hour period Monday.

The tickets were issued at a police checkpoint on Alamaha Street. In addition to the seat-belt violations, five citations were issued to drivers who ignored state law requiring the use of child restraints for passengers under age 4. The law also requires back-seat passengers under the age of 18 to be buckled up.

Alamaha Street in the busy industrial area was identified in a University of Hawai'i survey as a location with a low rate of seat belt use, said Lt. Charles Hirata, commander of the Maui Police Department's Traffic Section.

"We would like to see voluntary compliance and prefer to not issue a citation, but our enforcement efforts are designed to reach that segment of the population that will only respond to a citation," he said.

The fine for a seat-belt violation is $67. A child restraint citation requires a court appearance and can result in a $100 fine and four-hour class.

Hirata said the crackdown will continue into next week's "Operation ABC, America Buckles up Children" national campaign.