Click It or Ticket, May 22 - June 4
No matter what type of vehicle you drive, one of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up.
As you head out around the Memorial Day holiday, you'll likely see more law enforcement on the roads as part of Click It or Ticket. This campaign, from May 22 - June 4, reminds drivers and their passengers of the importance of buckling up and the legal consequences – including fines – for not wearing a seat belt.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2021, 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States. That same year, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing seat belts. That’s why the Click It or Ticket campaign focuses on nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will take a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In the City of Bradenton, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $116. A child not properly restrained, in a car seat/booster, is a $166.00 fine & three points on your license.
When traveling, Bradenton Police officers want to remind citizens to remember these safety tips:
Reduce your speed. More speeding-related fatalities happen during the summer months than at any other time of the year.
Refrain from using cell phones or devices when driving.
Designate a sober driver or take alternate transportation if you consume alcohol.
Drive defensively and exercise caution, especially during bad weather.
Always place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck, and place the lap belt across your hips, not your stomach. You should never put the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm. And remember: always buckle up.
Face the Facts
• The national seat belt use rate in 2022 was 91.6%, which is good — but we can do better. The other 8.4% still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives.
• Among young adults 18 to 34 killed while riding in passenger vehicles in 2021, more than half (59%) were completely unrestrained. That’s one of the highest percentages for all age groups.
• Men make up the majority of those killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. In 2021, 66% of the 26,325 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed were men. Men also wear their seat belts at a lower rate than women do. 54% of men killed in crashes were unrestrained, compared to 42% of women killed in crashes.