Staff Report

MIAMI COUNTY — The Miami County Sheriff’s Office is joining more than 900 other law enforcement agencies in Ohio to raise awareness for and enforce Ohio’s seat belt laws.

The traffic enforcement campaign has already begun and runs through the Memorial Day holiday concluding on June 6, according to Sheriff Dave Duchak said. The Miami County Sheriff’s Office will be deploying additional deputies at various time frames on Miami County roadways to strictly enforce all of Ohio’s traffic statutes. Special emphasis will be placed on seat belt enforcement, speeding, stop sign violations and other crash-causing infractions. Deputies will also be on the lookout for impaired drivers during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The Memorial Day weekend is officially kicking off the “Click-It-Or-Ticket” campaign throughout Ohio. The extra Miami County deputies will be working a combined 99 hours in overtime and will be on patrol for traffic enforcement purposes only, Duchak said. During this time frame, deputies will be issuing only citations and offering no warnings, he said. The extra deputies are being funded from a grant the sheriff’s office received late last year from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. The federal monies, which are administered by the state, also reimburse some fuel costs.

All motorists are reminded to buckle up and have a designated driver if they choose to drink,” Duchak said.

For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov and http://ohiohighwaysafetyoffice.ohio.gov/.