‘Click It or Ticket’ Campaign Under Way

Buckle up or pay up—big time.

For the next two weeks, law enforcement statewide—including the San Diego Police Department—will be on the lookout for unbelted drivers and passengers. Tickets for first time offenders can cost nearly $450.

"Many nighttime traffic deaths can be prevented if more motorists simply start wearing their seat belts," San Diego police Officer Mark McCullough said in a statement. "Citations will be issued without warning. It's not just about avoiding a costly ticket; it's about keeping the ones you care about alive."

The "Click It or Ticket" campaign lasts from May 23 until June 5, though unbelted drivers are subject to a minimum of $142 in fines and fees year-round. When the unbelted is a child under 16, the fine for a first time offense is $445.

Nearly 1 million people don't wear seat belts, according to state officials, even with an all-time state high of 96.2 percent seat belt usage. That's up from 92.5 percent in 2005.

"We are very proud of California's seat belt and child safety seat use rates," Christopher J. Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety, said in a statement. "However, with nearly 1 million motorists still not buckling up, there is much more work to do. Reaching that last 4 percent of motorists is crucial to reaching our goal of zero deaths."

Officials estimate that 320 people who were killed in 2009 would be alive today if they had been wearing seat belts. People who are properly restrained have a 50 percent better chance of surviving a crash than those who are unbelted, officials say.

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