Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt every day, and especially this spring, during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 23 to June 5, 2022.
“We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers,” said Sheriff Spike, “It’s not just a safe thing to do – it’s the law.” During the Click It or Ticket campaign, Yates County law enforcement will be working together to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. Among adults age 18 to 34 killed in crashes in 2020 more than 60% were completely unrestrained.
According to NHTSA, in 2020, there were 10,893 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 58% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That is why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
“If the enforcement effort wakes people up to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” said Penn Yan Police Chief Thomas Dunham. “If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits – it’s a matter of life.”
For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit here.
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