By By Marianne Todd/The Meridian Star
May 25, 2001
This season is the "Summer of Love" for the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department, whose deputies will reward good drivers with tie-died T-shirts.
The blue tie-died T-shirts bear a flower-laden Volkswagen with the words "Summer of Love, It's Groovy to Buckle Up."
Only the first 10 drivers who successfully pass each roadside safety check will receive the free T-shirt, Calhoun said. Sheriff's officials are not releasing the dates of the roadside safety checks or the locations, but Calhoun said the T-shirts will be given away all summer.
The department was able to pay for the shirts using money from a $10,000 mini grant courtesy the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, he said. M Prints of Meridian helped the cause by printing the T-shirts at cost, Calhoun said.
Department officials used $2,000 to buy the T-shirts and $8,000 to pay for the overtime needed to man the roadside safety checks.
Calhoun said department officials thought rewarding a driver for seatbelt use would encourage future use.
Deputies have sworn a zero tolerance for drivers not wearing seatbelts this summer, he said.
Marianne Todd is a staff writer for the Meridian Star. Call her at 693-1551, ext. 3236, or e-mail her at mtodd@themeridianstar.com.