Annual Click it or Ticket campaign begins next week

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Police across Kentucky will be participating in a campaign to enforce the use of seat belts later this month.

The annual Click It or Ticket campaign will run November 16 through November 29. Drivers are reminded to use their seat belts during the heightened enforcement.

Last year, there were 567 motor vehicle occupants killed on Kentucky roads. Of those deaths, 300 were not wearing a seat belt, car seat or booster seat.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration', a majority of unrestrained deaths occur during nighttime hours defined as 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. In Kentucky last year, 237 roadway deaths occurred at night. Of those, 136 were unrestrained.

According to NHTSA, when worn correctly, seat belts reduce the risk of fatalities by 45 percent for front-seat vehicle occupants and by 60 percent for pickup truck, SUV and minivan occupants. Properly fastened seat belts contact the strongest parts of the body, such as the chest, hips and shoulders. A seat belt spreads the force of a crash over a wide area of the body, putting less stress on any one part, and allows the body to slow down with the crash, extending the time when the crash forces are felt by the occupant.

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