"With so many families attending baseball games during these warm summer months, we believe that taking our message to the ballpark is a great way to remind thousands of New Yorkers of the importance of using safety restraints and driving safely," said Commissioner Martinez.

Earlier this year, New York, along with states across the country, was selected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to demonstrate the effectiveness of high-visibility, zero-tolerance enforcement, aimed at increasing seat belt use. The effort, coordinated by Governor George E. Pataki's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), urged motorists to buckle their safety belts or face receiving a citation. The simple message: "Click It or Ticket."

Tuesday night, the first 1,000 fans entering the ballpark received a foam seat cushion carrying the "Click It or Ticket" slogan, while roughly 100 area youths were provided tickets to the game courtesy of GTSC and the Bisons.

"We hope to remind New Yorkers that seat belts and child restraint seats save lives," Commissioner Martinez said. "By working with officials throughout New York, we are taking a proactive approach to increase awareness and spread a message that has helped make the last five years on our highways and byways the safest period on record since the 1920s."

According to statistics, New York's police officers issued over 500,000 tickets for seat belt violations, including child safety violations, in 2000. This was an increase from 1998, when less than 200,000 citations were issued.

New York's zero-tolerance policy for seat belt violations means that violators will receive a ticket if stopped for not using a safety restraint. The fine for such violations is up to $50 plus a $35 surcharge. The fine does not increase for repeat offenders. If a motorist is stopped for having a person less than 16 years old unrestrained, the fine is up to $100 plus the surcharge, plus 3 points on their license. According to state law, motorists can be stopped in New York by a police officer for not wearing their seat belt; another violation is not necessary to initiate the stop.