Click It Or Ticket Campaign Begins In Meriden

MERIDEN, CT - Local police and the Connecticut Department of Transportation will mobilize Click It or Ticket starting today that aims to remind motorists and passengers to wear a seatbelt every time they enter a vehicle. The campaign begins today, Monday, November 19 and will run through Monday, November 26.

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year and the increased number of vehicles on the road means an increased likelihood of crashes, according to a police statement. Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that during the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, there were 341 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation and 49 percent of those killed were not buckled up.

Research also indicates that proper seat belt use reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45 percent. In the last decade, seat belts have saved the lives of more than 100,000 people in the United States.

Connecticut law requires all drivers and passengers in the front seat, regardless of the occupant’s age, as well as all children under 16 in all positions to wear seat belts. Fines start at a minimum of $92 for first offense.

According to NHTSA, seat belts saved approximately 14,668 passenger vehicle occupants in 2016. If everyone had worn their seatbelts on every trip that year, an additional 2,456 people could be here for Thanksgiving this year.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket campaign, please visit www.nhtsa.gov.