Seat Belts Save Lives – Day and Night; Efforts Part of Maryland’s “Choose Safety for Life” Campaign          
          
WHO: Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson          
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator           
James F. Ports          
Maryland State Highway Administration’s Highway Safety Office Chief Vernon Betkey          
Saved by the Belt! – A Crash Victim’s Experience – Baltimore County Police Lt. Michael Howe           
          
WHAT: Event launches Maryland’s Click It or Ticket campaign, a national effort to enforce seat belt use. This year’s campaign focuses on nighttime enforcement, when the odds of being killed in a motor vehicle crash are three times greater nationally. Maryland efforts focus on nighttime enforcement, as well as stressing seat belt use to pickup truck drivers and younger drivers.           
          
* More than half of Maryland drivers killed in crashes at night (between 8 pm – 6 am) were not wearing seat belts.           
          
* More than 65 percent of those drivers killed in traffic crashes during nighttime hours were between the ages of 19 and 34 years old.           
          
WHEN: Thursday, May 22 at 2:00 p.m.          
          
WHERE: Baltimore County Police Training Center at CCBC Dundalk          
7200 Sollers Point Road          
Dundalk, Baltimore County, 21222          
          
DIRECTIONS: Take Exit 39 (Merritt Blvd), proceed about 2 1/2 miles. At the 8th traffic light (intersection of Merritt Blvd - Peninsula Expressway and Merritt Boulevard) turn right. If you cross RR tracks you've gone too far. At the first traffic light, Merritt Ave becomes Sollers Point Road. Go Straight. The college is at the top of the crest on the right.           
Press conference will be at Building “G.” Park in Lot 2.          
          
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