Police in Indiana and across the country are stepping up enforcement of high-profile seatbelt laws and reminding drivers and passengers to wear their seatbelts with the annual “Click It or Ticket” effort, just in time for the start of the year-end busy season. We encourage you to wear them.
A national seat belt drive to coincide with the Memorial Day holiday begins on May 20th and runs through June 2nd. The effort includes a grant administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and after-hours patrols funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (ICJI).
According to ICJI, Indiana's seat belt usage rate in 2023 is 93.2%, which is good, but experts say it could be better and that the remaining 6.8% of people , says we still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives. The goal of Click It or Ticket is to encourage drivers and passengers to automatically buckle their seatbelts. Studies have shown that buckling can reduce your risk of injury or death in an accident by up to 65%.
Lt. Alison Eichel of the Columbus Police Department said the campaign is a reminder to everyone to prioritize road safety.
“In line with these efforts, the Columbus Police Department is increasing enforcement and actively participating in the Click It or Ticket initiative. Seat belts are a basic safety measure and we are raising awareness of their importance. It's essential. The statistics speak for themselves, and research consistently shows that wearing a seat belt significantly reduces the risk of injury or death in a crash. of people are helping to make our roads safer for everyone.”
The “Click It or Ticket” initiative comes on the back of what is expected to be a near-record travel period for the Memorial Day holiday. AAA predicts that 43.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more, nearly matching the 2005 Memorial Day travel record of 44 million people.
“If our enforcement efforts alert people to the dangers of unrestricted driving, we will consider our mission successful,” said Sgt. Isaac Burks of the North Vernon Police Department.
“If you have friends or family members who don't wear their seat belts while driving, encourage them to change their habit. … Seat belts save lives and everyone – front and back, children and adults – needs to remember to wear their seat belts.”
For more information about Click It or Ticket seat belt mandates, visit NHTSA.gov/ClickIt.
