'Click It or Ticket' campaign reminds drivers to 'Buckle Up'

May 24—The Lake County Safe Communities Coalition is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt this spring during the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's "Click It or Ticket" enforcement effort.

The "high-visibility" campaign, which overlaps Memorial Day, runs through June 5.

The annual Observation Survey of Seat Belt Use conducted by the Ohio Department of Public Safety's Ohio State Highway Patrol reported Lake County had an overall seat belt compliance rate of 78 percent in 2022.

According to officials, the rate is below state and national average rate estimates of 80.8 percent and 91.6 percent, respectively.

"We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers," said Sgt. Jerrold Infalvi of the Lake County Sheriff's Office. "It's not just a safe thing to do, it's the law."

During the campaign, law enforcement officials will be working across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers.

"Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash," Infalvi said. "We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time — we see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.

"If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits," he added. "Help us spread this message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up."

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.