Police to take part in “Buckle Up in Your Truck” campaign

Morgan City Police Department will be participating in the "Buckle Up in Your Truck" campaign from Friday through April 27, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.

Officers will be conducting patrols focusing on and assuring that both driver and passenger are properly restrained, the release said.

Pick-up trucks comprise 25 percent of the vehicle fleet in Louisiana. State observation surveys and fatality data show that pickup truck drivers and passengers fall well behind occupants of other kinds of passenger vehicles when it comes to wearing seat belts, the release said.

Pick-up trucks are two times more likely to rollover than cars in fatal crashes. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is funding a high-visibility enforcement and awareness campaign to encourage seat belt usage and reduce unrestrained fatalities among our pick-up truck drivers and passengers.

Taking the time to buckle up before every trip is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash, the news release stated.