BUCKHANNON, WV – With summer concluding and back-to-school season approaching, West Virginia’s roads are seeing increased traffic. The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is stressing the importance of seat belt use as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket enforcement initiative. This campaign is currently underway and will continue through August 18, 2024, focusing on ensuring drivers and passengers are buckled up.

Law enforcement across the state is on the lookout for seat belt violations, issuing tickets to those traveling without a buckled seat belt or for transporting unrestrained children. This high-visibility campaign aims to promote proper seat belt use and enhance safety for all vehicle occupants. The GHSP conducts several Click It or Ticket mobilizations throughout the year in an effort to reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries on West Virginia roads.

In 2022, 264 lives were lost on the state’s roadways. Of those, 171 were passengers in vehicles, and 85 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the fatal incidents.

“Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45%,” said GHSP Director Jack McNeeley. “The seat belt can prevent a driver or passenger from being ejected or becoming a projectile within the vehicle. Knowing that, I would ask, ‘Why wouldn’t you wear your seat belt? Why risk it?’”

McNeeley also noted that approximately seven percent of drivers and front seat passengers in West Virginia do not wear their seat belts correctly or at all. “We are working hard to change this trend,” he said. “Wearing your seat belt is required by law. Our long-term goal is to have 100% of drivers and passengers in West Virginia correctly buckling their seat belts day and night, front seat and back, every time they travel in a vehicle. Additionally, we are working toward an ultimate goal of zero deaths on West Virginia roads.”

The value of life is immeasurable. A $25 fine for a seat belt violation is a small price to pay compared to the potential costs of injury or loss of life. McNeeley emphasized, “A ticket is less expensive than paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”

“Click It or Ticket isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives,” he concluded. “Click it. Don’t risk it.”

For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.