The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is teaming up the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), urging drivers to buckle up ahead of a national Click It or Ticket campaign. 
The national high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs May 19 to June 1. The state mobilization runs from May 12 through May 26.
“Seat belt use should be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP. “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 law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing a driver can do to limit injury or save a life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. So often, it could have been prevented,” continued McNeely.
The national seat belt daytime use rate in 2023 was 91.9%, which is good — but it can be better. The other 8.1% still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
“Our seat belt usage decreased to 91.9% in 2024, from 93.0% in 2023. While we are displeased with this decrease, we will keep working until every person in every vehicle is correctly buckled up,” said Amy Boggs, Division Manager of the GHSP.
One of the focuses 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. Of the males killed in crashes in 2021, more than half (54%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 42% were not buckled up.
“If the enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” said Jack McNeely. “We are asking friends and family to remind each other to buckle up when they drive, and to consider changing their habits if they don’t. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up,” continued McNeely.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization, visit NHTSA.gov/Clickit.
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
