CHP BELTS MESSAGE HOME SCOFFLAWS GET COSTLY 'CLICK IT OR TICKET' LESSON.

Byline: Amy Raisin Darvish Staff Writer

Six local California Highway Patrol officers spent their shifts Wednesday driving home a ``Click it or ticket'' message by stopping motorists for not wearing seat belts or not properly restraining children in safety seats.

As part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, CHP officers from the Newhall station had publicized their plan before they dramatically beefed up enforcement of safe-seating laws for the day. In addition, the CHP offered free inspections of child safety seats at the station, a free community service already provided every Thursday by appointment.

Nearly 30 tickets for violations of seat-belt or car-seat laws had been issued by Newhall station officers before 4 p.m. Wednesday, with additional numbers still to be reported by three late-shift officers, said CHP Officer Wendy Hahn.

``We're always on the lookout for seat belts,'' Hahn said, but she noted that dedicating six officers to the task for an entire day dramatically increased the number of tickets.

Officer Michelle Esposito said she sees more violators of seat-belt law on local streets than on Interstate 5 in the Santa Clarita Valley.

``I'm only running to the store,'' Esposito said the typical motorist declares when stopped for not wearing a seat belt while traveling on a local street, rather than a major highway.

``You hear it all the time - that they were just going to pick up this or that, so they didn't think they need to wear their seat belt,'' Esposito said. ``But that's the time when you need to be wearing a seat belt the most. That's when more accidents happen - when you're close to home.''

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 90.4 percent of drivers and passengers in California wear their seat belts. Campaigns such as Wednesday's effort are designed to educate the 10 percent who still don't buckle up.

Drivers and adult passengers can be cited for failing to wear a seat belt or for wearing one incorrectly. Placing a shoulder belt under an arm or behind one's back is a citable offense, as is wearing the shoulder belt but not a lap belt or vice versa, Esposito said.

Wednesday's effort was also designed to remind parents of the ``6 or 60'' law that took effect Jan. 1. The law requires that children who are younger than 6 or weigh less than 60 pounds be restrained in a child safety seat.

To schedule a child safety seat inspection at the CHP Newhall station, call [phone].

Amy Raisin Darvish, [phone]

amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com