Tag Archive for: #clickitorticket

Click It Or Ticket Campaign Underway To Promote Seatbelt Use

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Information courtesy of Governor’s Highway Safety Program

The statewide Memorial Day Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign kicked off Monday and for the next couple of weeks, law enforcement officers in all 100 counties will be keeping an extra eye out to make sure everyone riding in vehicles is buckled up for safety. “Although citizens could face a citation and fines for not wearing their seatbelt, the real goal here is saving lives,” said Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell. “Your chances of being killed or seriously injured in a car crash are reduced by nearly half when you wear a seatbelt.”

In 2021, 555 North Carolinians who were not wearing seatbelts lost their lives in vehicle crashes, including nearly 30 over last year’s two-week Click It or Ticket enforcement period.

North Carolina law requires all passengers in a vehicle to be properly restrained and violations are punishable by fines of up to $180. Children younger than 8 years and under 80 pounds must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat or booster seat. If a passenger under 16 is not properly restrained, the driver faces a $266 fine.

When North Carolina launched the Click It or Ticket initiative in 1993, only 64 percent of North Carolinians used their seat belts. Today, that number hovers around 90 percent.

In addition to increased enforcement statewide, the campaign will include a paid media component, including an influencer campaign where Tik Tok and Instagram influencers will share their own seatbelt messages with North Carolina audiences.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program, which is an arm of the N.C. Department of Transportation, provides grants to law enforcement agencies for various traffic safety initiatives, including campaigns like Click It or Ticket.

The Local Skinny! Click It or Ticket Is Underway

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The Click It or Ticket campaign is now underway for the extended Thanksgiving holiday period and will be in effect through Sunday, Nov. 28.

During Click It or Ticket enforcement and education campaigns, law enforcement agencies increase the number of patrols and officers in an area, set up checking stations, and use local media to reach out to drivers.

The campaign, which runs from Monday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 28, aims to encourage motorists to buckle up through innovative and extensive enforcement and education, including seatbelt checks in all North Carolina counties.

Lack of seatbelt use is a primary contributor to fatalities and injuries in vehicle crashes. In 2021 in North Carolina, 450 people have died and 926 have been seriously injured in unbuckled crashes, according to information from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

Of course, wearing seatbelts is the law. Violators of North Carolina’s seat belt law​ are fined $180​​ (or $266 if a passenger under age 16​ is not properly restrained). That doesn’t include the potential cost of a lost life.

“The simple act of buckling your seatbelt in the front and back seats can drastically improve your chances of surviving a car crash without injury or death,” said Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell. “With many more motorists traveling for the holidays, it’s imperative that we all do our parts to keep ourselves, our passengers and others safe on the roads.”

North Carolina’s Click It or Ticket campaign was the first in the nation and is now used as the model by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Even with its success, more than 11,900 people have lost their lives since 1993 because they did not take a couple of seconds to buckle up.

Some other ways motorists can drive safely this holiday season include:

  • Buckling up – every seat, every time.
  • Obey all speed limits.
  • Never drive impaired, tired or distracted.

For more safety tips, follow @NCGHSP on Facebook and @NC_GHSP on Twitter and Instagram. For more information, visit www.ncghsp.org​.

NC DOT

Thanksgiving Statewide ‘Click It or Ticket’ Campaign Underway

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-Press Release, NC Department of Transportation 

The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program is reminding drivers this Thanksgiving week about their responsibility to buckle up when behind the wheel.

Law enforcement will be out patrolling North Carolina roads as part of the Thanksgiving ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign, running through Sunday, November 29.

“Our goal is to save lives by increasing public awareness about the importance of seat belt use,” said Mark Ezzell, Director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

Despite reduced traffic volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic, roadway deaths and serious accidents have increased in North Carolina in 2020. Last year there were 434 total unbelted deaths across the state. Already in 2020, 440 people have lost their lives while not wearing a seatbelt.

“This year, we’re facing two public health crises at the same time,” Ezzell said. “One, the pandemic, is getting a lot of attention. But the other, an increase in unbelted traffic deaths, can’t be ignored. We need to stay vigilant and stay careful this holiday season to save people from losing their life to either.”

During Thanksgiving Week 2019, eight people lost their lives on North Carolina roadways while not wearing a seatbelt, and another 22 were seriously injured.

North Carolina law requires all passengers in a vehicle to be properly restrained. Violations are punishable by fines up to $179.

To help you and your loved ones stay safe this Thanksgiving holiday, GHSP recommends the following safety tips to drivers and passengers as they travel:

  • Buckle Up. Every Seat. Every Time. It’s the law.
  • Don’t drink and drive. Make sure you have a sober designated driver.
  • Obey the posted speed limit.
  • Keep a safe following distance.
  • Turn on your headlights in the rain or snow.
  • Put away all distractions including cell phones.

Social media users can show NCGHSP how they are practicing good driving behavior by buckling up. Mention @NCGHSP on Facebook or tag @NC_GHSP on Twitter and Instagram with #NCGHSP to show how you are celebrating this Thanksgiving, Click It or Ticket It.