While many Virginians are getting vaccinated and making spring and summer travel plans, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), through its “Click It or Ticket!” campaign, reminds those who will be traveling that the best way to ensure you and your loved ones arrive at your destination safely is to always wear a seat belt.
While statistics show the lifesaving value of seat belts, approximately 15% of Virginians still do not buckle up. Held nationally in May, the “Click It or Ticket!” campaign combines outreach, education and enforcement to promote proper seat belt and child safety seat use.
Despite fewer cars on the road, Virginia continues to see an increase in unbelted fatalities on the Commonwealth’s roadways. Approximately 13 percent more people who weren’t wearing their seat belts have been killed in crashes in 2020, compared to 2019 (343 compared to 304).
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts save more than 11,000 lives in the United States each year. In 2017 alone, the NHTSA reported that seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives.
This year’s “Click It or Ticket!” campaign in Virginia focuses on being remembered for the positives in life and not that you weren’t wearing a seat belt.
“Not only is wearing a seat belt the law, but it is also a simple act of kindness for yourself and those who love you,” said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “We want all Virginians to be protected on the Commonwealth’s roadways and, time and time again, buckling up has been proven to reduce injuries and save lives if a crash occurs.”
