Click It or Ticket, Coast to Coast

For many, buckling up in a vehicle is second nature. Open the door, sit down, start the car, and buckle your seat belt. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the United States in 2014, 9,385 people lost their lives as a result of not completing this simple, essential step.

That’s why law enforcement agencies across the country will join NHTSA May 23 to June 5, 2016, in the national Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign. This enforcement period comes ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

According to research conducted by NHTSA, while 87 percent of passenger vehicle occupants do buckle up, almost 50 percent of occupants of fatal crashes nationwide are not restrained. In some states, the rate is as high as 70 percent unrestrained in fatal crashes. This fact gravely highlights the need for increased enforcement and awareness of seat belt use.

This year, NHTSA is aiming to increase campaign participation even more by coordinating a “Coast to Coast” seat belt enforcement effort, to include all law enforcement around specific interstate corridors, such as I-10, I-40, I-70, and I-80. This effort does not limit Click It or Ticket enforcement to these corridors, or prevent states from participating in the campaign; rather, these corridors will serve to link and highlight the “Coast to Coast” seat belt enforcement effort. All law enforcement agencies can join the effort to emphasize the “Coast to Coast” effort.

Many believe that driving in large vehicles, trucks, or SUVs offers greater protection during a vehicle crash. Sadly, this is not the case. According to NHTSA, 61 percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed in crashes were not buckled up. That’s compared to 42 percent of passenger car occupants who were killed while not wearing their seat belts. Additionally, men and young adults are more likely to not wear a seat belt.

Will Click It or Ticket be enough to get you to buckle your seat belt? Think about it—this is the perfect opportunity to ingrain this life-saving habit into your daily driving routine. So next time you head out on the road, remember: Click It or Ticket. Every trip, every time.

You can find out more about the Click It or Ticket campaign at www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.