As summer kicks off and families hit the road for vacation, Crossville and Fairfield Glade Police Departments are partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket.
“We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said Fairfield Glade Police Chief Kate Self. “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.”
From May 19-June 1, participating agencies across the state will increase seat belt enforcement as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s nationwide mobilization.
“Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented,” said Crossville Police Chief Jessie Brooks.
One focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. NHTSA data shows a higher number of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities happen at night. Also, seat belt use differs among females and males.
According to Tennessee’s Integrated Traffic Analysis Network, 42% of males killed in Tennessee crashes last year were unrestrained. Of females killed in crashes, 29% were not buckled up.
Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement infractions, writing citations day and night.
Visit www.tntrafficsafety.org/seat-belts for more about seat belt saety.