Click It or Ticket Campaign Starts May 17th

As the unofficial start of summer, the Memorial Day holiday weekend is a busy time for Americans.  Each year, the highways fill with families in vehicles, on their way to start their summer vacations. To help keep drivers and passengers safe, The East Hartford Police Department is reminding motorists to Click It or Ticket.  Officers are out on the roads enforcing the State Occupant Protection laws and issuing citations to those who are unbuckled.  Aimed at enforcing seat belt use to help keep families safe, this seat belt campaign will take place May 17 through June 6, concurrent with the busy travel season.

“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,” said East Hartford Police Chief Scott Sansom.  “Help us spread this life-saving message before one more friend or family member is severely injured or killed as a result of senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone—front seat and back, child and adult—needs to remember to buckle up—every trip, every time.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 9,466 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States during 2019. While that was a decrease from 2018, an early study for 2020 suggests that during the COVID-19 public health emergency, driving patterns and behaviors changed significantly. Of those drivers who remained on the roads, there was more risky behavior, including people not wearing seat belts.  That’s why participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.  In Connecticut, the penalty for a seat belt violation is $92.00.

Buckle Up—Every Trip.  Every Time.

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