People come up with many excuses as to why they don’t wear their seat belts. Short travel distances, slow speeds and discomfort are a few common reasons. But while seat belts might feel like a hassle to some, they can help prevent serious injury — and even death — in the event of an accident.
To combat a low-usage of seat belts, the governor of North Carolina began the nation’s first-ever Click It or Ticket campaign in 1993. Since then, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has adopted the campaign as a nation-wide annual event. The campaign promotes driver and passenger safety by encouraging people to wear their seat belts.
Kentucky participation
Kentucky state police officers participated in the 2019 Click It or Ticket campaign to remind Kentuckians to wear their seat belts. While this crackdown on seat belt usage may seem like a way to intimidate vehicle occupants, it’s actually a push to decrease injury and fatality in an accident.
Unfortunately, 2018 statistics show that nearly 53% of people involved in fatal car accidents in Kentucky were not wearing their seat belts. State police officers hope that by participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign, people will realize the dangers of driving without a seat belt and change their habits accordingly.
Remember Click It or Ticket this holiday season
While the campaign runs through the month of May when the summer season kicks off, seat belt usage is crucial to driver and passenger safety all year-round. With the holiday season just around the corner, traffic will once again pick up as people travel to see loved ones or go on vacation.
Because of this increase in traffic, you have a higher chance of getting into an accident. Wearing your seat belt could be the determining factor between spending your holidays with family or in the emergency room.
It takes as little as three seconds to click your seat belt into place before setting out on the road. While Click It or Ticket may emphasize the civil penalties for not wearing your seat belt, its underlying message begs vehicle occupants to save lives by always buckling up.