Officers from local police departments, the Wayne County Sheriff's Department and Michigan State Police will all be on patrol conducting seat belt enforcement across the state during the Click It or Ticket campaign that will continue until June 6.
“So often, critical injuries and the loss of life on our roadways could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director. “Wearing a seat belt is the easiest and most effective thing you can do to reduce injuries and save lives. Buckle up every trip, every time.”
The City of Northville public safety department along with officers in the City of Wayne will be participating in the campaign to increase seat belt use.
“During the campaign, we'll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across the state to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers to buckle up,” said Northville Police Cpt. Greg Hannewald. “We cannot overstate the importance of wearing a seat belt. It's the law but more than that, 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 with the simple click of a seat belt,” he added.
According to the University of Michigan Traffic Research Institute (UMTRI), in 2019, 217 people killed in Michigan traffic crashes were not wearing a seat belt.
Men make up the majority of those killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2019, 65 percent of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed were men. Men also wear their seat belts at a lower rate than women do - 51 percent of men killed in crashes were unrestrained compared to 40 percent of women killed in crashes.
Young adults are also at a higher risk of being killed because of riding unrestrained. In 2019, more than half (57 percent) of young adults 18 to 34 years old who were killed while riding in passenger vehicles were not buckled up.
“If this enforcement period wakes people up to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we'll consider our mission to be a success,” said Hannewald. “If you know a friend or family member who doesn't buckle up, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed.
“Seat belts save lives and everyone, children and adults in the front seat and back seat, need to remember to buckle up - every trip, every time.”
“If this enforcement period wakes people up to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we'll consider our mission to be a success,” said Hannewald. “If you know a friend or family member who doesn't buckle up, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed.
“Seat belts save lives and everyone, children and adults in the front seat and back seat, need to remember to buckle up - every trip, every time.”
In Michigan, 217 people killed in traffic crashes during 2019 were not wearing a seat belt.
During the 2019 Memorial Day weekend, there were 11 fatal crashes on Michigan roadways that resulted in 13 fatalities. Two of the 13 deaths involved a driver and a passenger not wearing seat belts.
In Michigan, the seat belt usage rate in 2019 was 94.4 percent. The national seat belt use rate in 2019 was 90.7 percent.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved 14,955 lives nationwide in 2017. Seat belts are the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash. According to the NHTSA, buckling up in the front seat can reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a crash by 45 percent.
Michigan law requires drivers, front-seat passengers and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up.
The fine and associated costs for not wearing a seat belt is $65. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall, and children under 4 years old must be in the back seat.
The OHSP coordinates the Click It or Ticket effort, which is supported by federal traffic safety funds.
For more information on Click It or Ticket mobilization, visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.
