Chesterfield Police To Participate in Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign

Chesterfield Police are participating in a statewide effort to ensure drivers are buckling up.

This year's "Click It or Ticket" campaign kicked off Monday and lasts through June 5. According to a news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation, more than 200 law enforcement agencies acoss the state are taking part in the campaign. 

Missouri's seat belt usage is below the national average, the release states. The national average is 85 percent, but Missouri seat belt usage remains about 76 percent. Teens and pick-up drivers are even less likely to buckle up, at 66 and 61 percent, respectively.

The release states that new strategies are being used to encourage seat belt use. Portable message boards will be used to post messages about fatalities and seat belt citations, for example. 

"Click It or Ticket" is a national campaign that combines high-visibility enforcement with education in an attempt to increase seat belt use and reduce car accident fatalies. Last year, 182 law enforcement agencies participated in Missouri. They wrote 5,794 seat belt and 219 child seat violations. The release also states that 7,556 speeding violations were issued last year in the 27,072 stops that took place statewide.

For more information about Click It or Ticket, visit www.saveMOlives.com.