After 72 Crash Deaths, Baltimore Co. Begins 'Click It Or Ticket'

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — It takes just two seconds to buckle up when going for a drive. But for whatever reason, many people skip this potentially life-saving step, putting themselves at greater risk of dying in a crash. Beginning Monday, 10,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide will scour the roads, keen on busting the estimated 27.5 million unbuckled travelers.

It's known as "Click It or Ticket." You know the drill. The campaign, which runs through June 2, aims to enforce seat belt use to keep drivers and their passengers safe.

The Baltimore County Police Department, Harford County Sheriff's Office and Maryland State Police set up an enforcement zone near the Baltimore-Harford county line on Monday, May 20, along US 1 near Gunpowder.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 10,000 unbuckled people died in passenger vehicle crashes in 2017. More than half of those fatal crashes happened at night.

In Baltimore County, 72 people died in passenger vehicle crashes in 2017, the latest year for which data was available. People who weren't buckled properly accounted for 15 of those deaths, a rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people.

The number of fatal crashes in Baltimore County represents a spike, as there were 54 crash deaths in 2016.

Here are all the fatal 2017 crashes mapped in the Baltimore County area by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

SEE ALSO: Maryland State Police Step Up Enforcement Of 2 Laws

— By Dan Hampton and Elizabeth Janney