Buckle Up: NHTSA Kicks Off Click It Or Ticket Campaign

It's Click It Or Ticket time across the nation. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched its annual seat belt enforcement campaign, ahead of Memorial Day weekend later this month.  The campaign reminds us all to buckle up with an emphasis on seat belt use at night and in rural areas. 

A new TV ad is aimed at rural populations, where safety regulators say seat belt use has lagged. In 2022,  NHTSA reports that 58% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in rural traffic crashes at night were unbelted, compared to 56% in urban areas. 

Safety regulators say this year’s campaign comes as lack of seat belt use — especially at night and in rural areas — continues to be a problem. Despite steady improvements, more than 11,000 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2022 were unbelted, and 57% of those killed were unbelted in nighttime crashes, according to the most recent data from NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. 

“The decision to not buckle up could be a fatal one. Wearing a seat belt is a simple step that can keep drivers and passengers safe,” Deputy Administrator Shulman said. “While we’ve made progress over the years, seat belt use still varies by time of day, region and demographics. Through NHTSA’s Click It or Ticket campaign, we’re urging everyone to wear their seat belt, even on short trips or when no other vehicles are on the road.”

During Thursday's press conference, first responders were also encouraged to buckle up.

Along with a $11.2 million public awareness advertising campaign to encourage seat belt use that's already kicked off,  state and local law enforcement agencies will work together during a heightened enforcement period from May 20 through June 2, 2024 to help keep communities safe and remind drivers of the importance of buckling up.

Latest National Stats:

• On average, every 47 minutes someone not wearing a seat belt dies in a car crash.
• In 2022, 11,302 people killed in car crashes were not wearing seat belts.
• The national estimate of seat belt use during the day by adult front-seat passengers in 2023 was 91.9%.  
• In 2022, more unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes at night (6,252) than during the day (4,949). 
• In 2022, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts.
• Among young adults 18 to 34 killed while riding in passenger vehicles in 2022, more than half (60%) were completely unrestrained — one of the highest percentages for all age groups. 
• Men make up the majority of those killed in traffic crashes. Men are also overrepresented in unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities with 54% of men (8,098 people) and 41% of women (3,201 people) dying without a seat belt in 2022. 

Click It Or Ticket Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation says May 2024 marks the 22nd anniversary of the state's Click It or Ticket campaign.

TxDOT says that currently, more than 90 percent of Texans wear seatbelts. In 2023, the number of people who died while not wearing a seat belt decreased 4.8 percent over 2022. However, 1,183 unbuckled drivers and passengers were killed on Texas roadways.  Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying by 45% for people in the front seat of passenger cars. For those in pickups, seat belts reduce the risk of dying by 60%. 

In Texas, the law requires everyone in a vehicle to buckle up or face fines and court costs up to $200. Children younger than eight years must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they’re taller than four feet nine inches. If they aren’t properly restrained, the driver faces fines up to $250, plus court costs.

For a seat belt law by state click here.

For more information on seat belt safety, visit NHTSA.gov/SeatBelts. 

Photo Credit: NHTSA.