Police will be using roving patrols and checkpoints to enforce seatbelt use. The effort is part of a national and statewide campaign.

"Although this campaign is from May 21 to June 3, 2007, seatbelt and child restraint citations are issued year round," Veriato said in a released statement. During the 12-month period last year, police issued 4,099 seatbelt citations and 257 child restraint citations.

In 2006, there were 33 fatal crashes on the Big Island, resulting in 39 deaths. Thirteen of those occupants were not restrained. "The survival rate of wearing your seatbelt in a crash like that is almost 50 percent," Veriato stated. "At least half of those lives could have been saved. We need the public's help"

According to the last statewide survey, Hawai'i County's seatbelt usage rate was 94.2 percent, slightly lower than the statewide average. The same survey found that occupant and toddler restraint use was significantly lower on the Big Island.

Police will enforce child passenger restraint laws and will ticket drivers if children under the age of 4 are not properly restrained in a child safety seat or in a booster seat until age 7. Unrestrained drivers and front seat passengers also will be cited.