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Click It or Ticket
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We saw lots of motorists over the weekend slowing down to read the information screens positioned on our freeways. This was no Amber Alert, however, this was a new initiative by the California Office of Traffic Safety to get more people to fasten their seat belts. The signs read "Click It or Ticket. Buckle Up." The usually leisurely Memorial Day Weekend traffic around the city felt more hazardous as free-flowing lanes would unexpectedly feature brake lights as people read and then moved on.
We don't quite understand why people had to slow down to read the sign. The words are large and there are only 6 of them. Maybe it's the word "buckle"? Seeing the word at least 10 times over the course of three days, we realized how rarely we actually see "buckle" written out in every day life. Airplanes use "fasten" more often than not. In stores where belt buckles are sold, they are usually found in sections simply marked "belts".
Or maybe the phrasing just isn't simple and effective enough to grab people with a glance. Here are our suggestions for the next phase of the Click It or Ticket program:
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Unbuckled? Brass Knuckled.
Buckle Down, Get Around.
Fastened Seat Belts Make the Ladies Melt.
Boys Make Passes at Girls with Safe Asses. Buckle Up.
Keep that Belt Locked and Please No Glocks
(ed. note - That's kind of a dual purpose safety request for our current freeway situation isn't it?)
Arnold Wants to Buckle *clap-point* You Up!
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Hmmmm, maybe ours need work as well. Anyway, if you do happen to get ticketed, the first offense is a $50 fine. The full seat belt law can be found here.
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