Canon-Mac students reminded to wear seat belts
North Strabane police Officer Mike Krocsko talks to Emily Cain, a 17-year-old student at Canon-McMillan High School, after handing her a flier about the importance of wearing a seat belt during an outreach program held by the North Strabane police department and the state Department of Transportation.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
North Strabane police Officer Mike Krocsko talked to student drivers at Canon-McMillan High School about the laws and the importance of wearing seat belts while driving or riding in a car during an educational outreach program held Tuesday.
Students at Canon-McMillan High School were warned about wearing their seat belts Tuesday.
North Strabane Township police officers, stationed at the high school exits, passed out information to driving students about the importance of wearing a seat belt.
“We do it each year as a reminder for students,” high school Principal Dave Helinski said. “About 200 student vehicles will drive out of here today. At least 90 percent will be wearing their seat belts.”
The program is a partnership between North Strabane Township police and the state Department of Transportation and a part of a statewide seat belt enforcement initiative from Oct. 16 to 27.
Helinski said while Tuesday was about awareness, the rest of the week police will focus on enforcement, ticketing students under 18 for not wearing seat belts.
Officer Mike Krocsko, who passed out information to students Tuesday, said that for drivers under 18, not wearing a seat belt is a primary offense. Adult drivers can only be ticketed for failing to wear a seat belt if they are stopped for another traffic violation.
“We see a lot of teen drivers wearing their seat belts,” Krocsko said. “We have an school resource officer here so the kids are exposed to us a good bit.”