Seat belts are the most effective traffic safety feature ever invented and have helped save thousands of lives. Unfortunately, one in five Americans fail to regularly wear a seat belt when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. The Click It or Ticket campaign focuses on safety education, strong laws, and law enforcement officers saving lives. The annual safety campaign is designed to urge all occupants to always buckle safety belts while riding in vehicles on America’s roadways. Thousands of Americans are alive today because a seat belt saved them during a crash. In 2015, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 13,941 lives of occupants ages 5 and older.
“We have made enormous progress as a nation in increasing seat belt use, but far too many people are still dying because they are not buckled up during crashes,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Mark Rosekind. “Before you even turn the key, make sure that everyone in your car has their seat belt on, every trip, day and night.”
Last year in Ohio, seat belt use was recorded at 83.9%. This is down 1.1% from 2014, which was recorded at 85.0%. While these numbers are great, Safe Communities would like to remind everyone to wear seat belts, every time, in order to save lives.
For More Information:
- William Bowers, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
- Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator: 419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu