‘Click It or Ticket’ Campaign starts this week

The Connecticut Department of Transportation, (CTDOT), the Connecticut State Police, and local law enforcement, are joining a national effort to keep motorists safe leading up to and during the Memorial Day Holiday. The Click It or Ticket national seat belt campaign, aimed at enforcing seat belt use, begins today, May 15 and runs through June 4, 2023.

In 2021, the last year of verifiable data, there were 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In Connecticut in 2021, there were 75 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes.

Connecticut law requires all drivers and passengers in the front and back seats to wear seatbelts. Fines start at a minimum of $92 for a first offense. 

“The evidence is clear, buckling up limits injuries and saves lives during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life and tragically, so often, it could have been prevented. Seat belts save lives,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “To help prevent crash fatalities, we need to step up seat belt enforcement for every passenger in every seat, day and night. Thank you to state and local law enforcement for partnering with us on this important effort.”

“Buckling up is the single, most effective way to protect yourself in a crash. Connecticut State Troopers have seen the devastating effects of operators and passengers not utilizing seat belts. Not wearing a seat belt can lead to ejection, injury, or death,” said Colonel Stavros Mellekas, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police. “On behalf of public safety and our Troopers, please buckle up. Shift your vehicle to drive only after you and your passengers have buckled up.”

“Connecticut police chiefs are committed to enforcing our state’s traffic safety laws, including safety belt laws. All too often, our Connecticut police officers are responding to crashes with severe or fatal injuries to unbuckled vehicle occupants,” said Watertown Police Chief and Chairman of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association Traffic Safety Committee Josh Bernegger. “Buckling up is the easiest way to prevent serious injuries in a crash, and to avoid receiving a $92 ticket.”

High-visibility seat belt enforcement is important 24-hours a day, but nighttime is especially deadly for unbuckled occupants. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), in 2021, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were not wearing their seat belts.

The national seat belt use rate in 2022 was 91.6%. The Click It or Ticket campaign is focusing on the remaining 8.4% who still don’t buckle up. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if every person was properly restrained on the road.

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

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