'Click It or Ticket' Campaign Begins

Drivers and passengers who refuse — or forget — to fasten their safety belts can expect a ticket from local and state law enforcement. 

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety launched its annual May mobilization of "Click It or Ticket" Monday. Acording to a news release, all motorists, even those just passing through on vacation, can expect a ticket if they don’t buckle up.

“The bottom line is that those who choose not to wear a safety belt will feel the heat from our officers who will be cracking down on Click It or Ticket violators,” GOHS Director Harris Blackwood said in the release. “Our police officers, state troopers and sheriff’s deputies are prepared to ticket anyone who isn’t buckled up.”

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that in 2010 alone, seatbelts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide. Data also shows that 22,187 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in traffic crashes in 2010 and 51 percent were not wearing seatbelts at the time of their fatal crash.

“Too many people are still dying on Georgia roads because they can’t take 10 seconds to buckle their seatbelt,” Blackwood said in the release. “It’s also the easiest way to protect yourself from other careless drivers who speed or drive drunk.”

The "Click It or Ticket "campaign in Georgia will run from May 21 to June 3. For more information visit www.gahighwaysafety.org or www.nhtsa.gov.