Click It or Ticket Campaign starts May 23

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During this year’s national Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign, which will take place May 23 through June 5, Mississippi Highway Patrol and Louisiana State Police will be teaming up with law enforcement nationwide for a Border to Border (B2B) kickoff event. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is asking all states to participate in B2B, a one-day, 4-hour national seat belt awareness event on May 23, which is coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The B2B initiative aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement for drivers at state border checkpoints.

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’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign and the B2B kickoff event is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations both day and night. In Mississippi, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $25.

“The Border to Border component of the Click It or Ticket campaign is important because it raises awareness about seat belt safety during a time when seat belt use is decreased,” said LSP Sgt. James Anderson.  “With an increased number of cars flooding the roads due to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, it’s imperative we get the word out about the importance of seat belt safety.”

“Fatal and serious injury crashes have increased dramatically over the last year. Nearly 60% of the fatalities on Louisiana’s roads involved unrestrained drivers and passengers. 75% of unrestrained child passengers under the age of 6 were killed and nearly 65% over the age of 6 were killed. Fatal crashes involving our young adults (ages 15-24) increased by 32%,” Sgt. Anderson said. “These statistics are troubling and simply buckling up can save your life in a motor vehicle crash.”

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit NHTSA.gov/ciot.