Upper Sandusky, OH — The Wyandot County Safe Communities Coalition is urging drivers to buckle up during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 22 to June 4, 2023.
“We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” Ohio State Highway Patrol Bucyrus Post Commander Lt. Ty Skaggs said. “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 fellow law enforcement officers to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. 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.”
According to NHTSA, in 2020, there were 10,893 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 58% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement.
“No matter the type of vehicle you’re driving in or the type of road you’re driving on, the safest way to stay safe in case of a vehicle crash is to wear your seat belt,” Wyandot County Sheriff Todd Frey said. “Unfortunately, many families are suffering because their loved ones refused to follow this simple step. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.”
To help spread the lifesaving message, the community is invited to a special Click It or Ticket kickoff event hosted by the Wyandot County Safe Communities Coalition at 6 p.m. May 18 at the Upper Sandusky Community Library. Frey will speak about the importance of buckling up. Videos created by students from Upper Sandusky and Mohawk high schools sharing the Click It or Ticket message will be shown with the overall winners of the video contest to be announced at the conclusion of the event.
“If the kickoff and enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” Frey said.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket content follow @WyandotHealth on preferred social media platforms or visit WyandotHealth.com.
Photo: Getty Images North America