The Salisbury Township Police Department participated in the latest wave of Buckle Up PA enforcement in May.

The enforcement details are funded by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Salisbury Police Department senior patrol officer, Bryan Losagio, the township's traffic safety officer, said the seatbelt enforcement, along with other motor vehicle code enforcement, took place in various areas of the township. Enforcement took place during daytime and evening hours.

Losagio reported the following statistics from the traffic safety details.

"Thirty-nine traffic stops took place, with 59 traffic tickets being issued: six for not wearing seatbelts; 37 for speeding, and six for suspended or non-licensed drivers," Losagio said.

Two tickets were for illegally passing a stopped school bus while children were exiting and eight tickets were for other violations.

Two vehicles were impounded and two "wanted persons" were apprehended.

Losagio said a misdemeanor arrest was made after a motorist stole one of the township's speed timing devices from the roadway. He was taken into custody and arraigned in front of a judge on charges of theft and receiving stolen property.

One felony arrest was made, Losagio said, after an officer discovered about one-half pound of marijuana in a vehicle. The perpetrator was taken into custody and arraigned in front of a judge at Lehigh County Prison for drug charges.

"It takes just two seconds to buckle up," Losagio said. "That two second investment of time can save your life. Yes, there is a fine if you're not buckled up, but even worse is the injury or death in a traffic accident if a motorist is not buckled up.

"People don't realize that in a crash, a vehicle moving at 40 mph comes to an abrupt stop because it collides with something, but your body is still moving at 40 mph. At 40 mph, a body will go right through a windshield or side window. Backseat drivers can collide with people sitting in the front seats. Imagine a 40 mph head-butt. Assuming a motorist survives a crash, months of rehab and recovery can be the consequence of not taking those two seconds to buckle up.

"We are currently in the process of conducting other traffic safety grant enforcement details in the township and will be doing so for the next several months.

"Please 'Buckle up and drive safely,'" Losagio said.