The patrols are part of the nationwide "Buckle-Up Day and Night" campaign. The larger campaign is traditionally scheduled in late May, but University Police is granted a variation to run earlier because of college graduation in May. A federal grant through the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee funds the patrols.

     Wearing a seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle saves lives, reduces injuries, and saves money. In New York, every month an average of 715 motorists who do not wear a seatbelt are injured severely enough to require hospital treatment; 153 of them sustain injuries serious enough to require in-patient treatment.

     For the 8,580 motorists annually that are treated at a hospital for their injuries, costs exceed $134 million, and over $16 million of these hospitalization and emergency room costs are charged to public funds.

     Unrestrained motorists involved in a crash are almost four times as likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury as those wearing a seatbelt.

     Motorists increase their chance of survival in a crash by 60 percent by wearing a seat belt and don't have to worry about being stopped by the police or receiving a ticket.