Night moves: Asheville Police set up roadblocks to check seat belts

Posted on by Cecil Bothwell

Starting March 16, nighttime checkpoints will be set up across the city of Asheville to check for seat-belt-law compliance. Information Officer John Dankel warns, “Anyone who is caught not wearing a seat belt will be ticketed and fined — no excuses.”

The project is being undertaken with the assistance and collaboration of the Buncombe County Sherriff’s Department, state Highway Patrol, Biltmore Forest Police Department, Woodfin Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office and WNC Safe Kids.

In 2005, 77 percent of passenger vehicle occupants in a fatal crash who were buckled up survived the crash.

APD Chief William Hogan noted, “Seat belts clearly save lives. But unfortunately, too many folks in Asheville still need a tough reminder, so we are going to be out in force buckling down on those who are not buckled up.”

For more information, call Sgt. Stony Gonce at 259-4085 or visit www.BuckleUpAmerica.org.

— Cecil Bothwell, staff writer

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About Cecil Bothwell
A writer for Mountain Xpress since three years before there WAS an MX--back in the days of GreenLine. Former managing editor of the paper, founding editor of the Warren Wilson College environmental journal, Heartstone, member of the national editorial board of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, publisher of Brave Ulysses Books, radio host of "Blows Against the Empire" on WPVM-LP 103.5 FM, co-author of the best selling guide Finding your way in Asheville. Lives with three cats, macs and cacti. His other car is a canoe. Paints, plays music and for the past five years has been researching and soon to publish a critical biography--Billy Graham: Prince of War:
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5 thoughts on “Night moves: Asheville Police set up roadblocks to check seat belts”

  1. zen

    Good thing! And i hope they’re also checking for child-safety seats… Much better than concentrating on Graffiti artists, in my book!

  2. Argus

    More traffic inconvenience in Asheville how wonderful. Go out for dinner & a show, then you can have the pleasure of waiting in a police roadblock to see if block heads are buckled up! What’s next aside from checking for seat belts, asking the occupants of the vehicle their political affiliation? or where they’ve been or why they’re out at that hour? I really think it’s nothing but a secret covert operation to convince Karl Mumpower the Police are actually doing their job!

  4. Edgy Mama

    I’m with zen. I wish they’d do this outside the schools in the afternoon and ticket people who let their small children sit in the FRONT seat without a BOOSTER seat. I’ve probably seen this three times this week.

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