GREENSBORO, N.C. — A sign on Wendover Avenue read, “Road work ahead,” but what appeared to be DOT crews were actually undercover police officers looking for drivers and passengers not buckled up Friday night.
When the so-called spotters saw someone breaking the law, they alerted patrol officers just down the road, waiting for the violators.
“We’re trying to reduce serious injuries, and we’re trying to reduce fatalities,” said Lt. Walter Heaviland of the High Point Police Department.
The goal for years has been to get states to a 90 percent or greater seat belt usage rate. North Carolina is close at 89 percent, and Guilford County is a little lower.
Heaviland said seat belt usage is lower during the day than at night.
“At night, persons who don’t wear their safety belt are four times more likely to get seriously injured or killed than those driving in the daytime,” said Heaviland.
That is the reason police set up the seat belt sting, but some people may question the way they went about it.
“In addressing concerns about, ‘Oh you’re tricking us?’ No. Actually all we’re doing is reducing the traffic flow,” Heaviland said. “As cars go by, we’re pulling out the violators.”
“Police are basically allowed to dress up as anyone they want,” said Michael Rich, a professor at Elon University School of Law. “They can lie to people in the course of investigating a crime and claim to be people that they’re not. It’s basically the same idea behind, say, an unmarked car that enforces traffic laws or a police officer who’s dressed in plain clothes.”
Officers said it is not just seat belt violations they look for. They did a similar sting in February and found 50 other violations including driving while impaired. They also made an arrest.
“We even stopped a larceny in progress from a local convenience store where someone was stealing stuff and ran out literally into the arms of police. You never know what happens at these things,” Heaviland said.
The seat belt sting started at 9 p.m. Friday and lasted until 1 a.m. Saturday.