Police Issue 139 Traffic Citations in Friday Night Sting

Montgomery County, Gaithersburg and Rockville police issued 139 traffic citations in a Friday night sting to aggressively enforce the nighttime use of seat belts, county police announced.

From about 7:30 to 11 p.m., officers were stationed at entrance and exit ramps off of Interstate 270 and Interstate 495 and observed vehicles for seat belt non-compliance and other safety violations, according to county police.

The following citations were issued by police:

• Seat belt citations issued: 44
• Equipment repair orders issued: 25
• Warnings issued: 59
• Driving under the influence (DUI) arrests: 4
• Criminal arrests: 2
• Criminal citations issued: 1
• Warrants served: 1
• Driving while suspended traffic citations: 8

Capt. Thomas Didone of Montgomery County police knows the vital importance of buckling up, both professionally and personally.

“I’ve investigated hundreds of crashes in my career but, in 2008, tragedy hit home,” Didone said in a statement. “My son—a bright and promising teenager—was riding with a friend, not wearing a seat belt, and was involved in a crash. The simple decision to not buckle up changed my family’s life and tragically ended my son’s. I, along with my fellow officers, am determined to spare other families from that pain.”

Preliminary data for 2012 shows that 108 unbuckled drivers and passengers in Maryland lost their lives.    

“Last year, nearly 1 out of every 10 drivers and passengers in Maryland did not wear seat belts,” said John Kuo, administrator of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and the governor’s representative for highway safety in Maryland. “That’s an estimated 590,000 people putting their own lives in danger every time they hit the road. It’s an unacceptable statistic and one we’re determined to change.”