Newsroom Click It Or Ticket Campaign Starts May 24, 2021

Arlington VA

24 May, 2021

2:18 PM

Description

Press release from the Arlington County Government: May 21, 2021 ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington County Police Department is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt, during the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket campaign. The high-visibility national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 24 to June 6, 2021 and works toward reducing the number of fatalities that occur when drivers and passengers fail to buckle up. According to NHTSA, there were 9,466 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States in 2019. Nighttime proved even more deadly, with 55% of those crashes taking place between 6 p.m. – 5:59 a.m. Wearing a seatbelt is one of the most effective things anyone can do to prevent injury or death in a vehicle crash. That's why law enforcement agencies across the country are educating drivers about the importance of seat belt use. The Click It or Ticket campaign combines powerful messages about seat belt safety with increased patrolling for unbuckled motorists. Virginia law requires everyone under the age of 18 to be properly secured in a safety belt or child safety seat no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle, and the driver is responsible for making sure this happens. In addition, Virginia law requires everyone in the front seat of vehicles to be properly restrained, regardless of age, and those 18 and older can be ticketed. Everyone wants you to arrive at your destination safely, so it's critical to practice safe driving habits, like buckling your seat belt, on every ride. For more information on the U.S. Department of Transportation's NHTSA Click It or Ticket high-visibility campaign, visit their website. This press release was produced by the Arlington County Government. The views expressed here are the author's own.