BUCYRUS—The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office is calling on drivers to fasten their seat belts 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 will be active from May 22 to June 4, 2023, coinciding with the Memorial Day holiday.

Sheriff Scott Kent emphasized that seat belt usage should be a habit for all drivers and passengers, not just a safety practice. “It’s not just a safe thing to do – it’s the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers,” said Kent.

NHTSA reported that in 2021, 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States. In the same year, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.-5:59 a.m.) were not wearing seat belts. This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign will focus on nighttime enforcement to tackle this issue.

Participating law enforcement agencies will not make any excuses for unrestrained drivers and passengers, as they issue citations during the campaign day and night.

Sheriff Scott Kent emphasized that wearing a seat belt was the best way to reduce injury or save lives during a crash, regardless of the type of vehicle or road. The sheriff’s office hopes to save lives and prevent accidents caused by drivers not using seat belts. “If the enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” said Kent.

According to NHTSA data, seat belt use is higher among females than males. Nearly twice as many males were killed in crashes in 2021 as compared to females, with over half of them (54%) unrestrained. 42% of females killed in crashes were not wearing their seat belts.

Sheriff Scott Kent urged friends and family members to remind those who don’t wear seat belts while driving to reconsider their habits. “Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of not buckling up. Seat belts save lives, and everyone – front seat and back, child and adult – needs to remember to buckle up,” he said.

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