This month marks the Click It or Ticket: Day and Night Campaign of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association. Click It or Ticket: Day and Night was created to raise safety belt usage to save drivers from death or serious injury in the event of an accident. This is part of the National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization efforts created by the United States Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Marketing. This Is in conjunction with year-round efforts like Buckle Up, all aimed to save lives and keep you safe on the road.
Seat belts save lives! In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that seat belts save 15,000 lives every year. Wearing your seat belt also cuts your risk of a fatal injury in half. This is due largely in part to this campaign and its national success. The national seat belt use rate is currently at 90.7%. This increased drastically from the early 2000s when this program was being adopted by states nationwide, and usage rates were around 70%.
Although many Americans wear their seat belts on the road, this movement is not willing to go anytime soon. Each year, the large visible police presence and marketing messages have led to the dramatic shift in belt wearers over the last 20 years. You can expect 10,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide to patrol the streets through Memorial Day weekend. Law enforcement will take a no-excuse approach to Click It or Ticket: Day and Night and write citations day and night. To make sure you keep your vacations tragedy-free, wear your seat belt. Did you know wearing your seat belt is one of the easiest ways to drive defensively? Read more about protecting yourself and your passengers by driving defensively HERE.