Police Take Part in Spring 2023 Click It or Ticket Campaign

Published on May 18, 2023

ARLINGTON, Va. – As the Memorial Day holiday approaches, the Arlington County Police Department is again partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind motorists about the importance of seat belt use. The high-visibility Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign, which coincides with the busy travel season, runs from May 22 through June 4, 2023, and works towards reducing the number of fatalities that occur when drivers and passengers fail to buckle up.

According to NHTSA, there were 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes throughout the United States in 2021. In that same year, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6:00 p.m. – 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. 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 high-visibility enforcement 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.

No matter your destination, it is critical to practice safe driving habits, like buckling your seat belt, on each and every ride. For more information on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s NHTSA Click It or Ticket campaign, visit their website.