$28K Given To Morris Co. Police For 'Click It Or Ticket' Campaign

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Fasten your seatbelts! The annual "Click it or Ticket" campaign in New Jersey has commenced. Morris County police departments are among the 145 law enforcement agencies that received a Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) grant to assist with the campaign.

Beginning last week, the campaign targets drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.

According to New Jersey State Police data, 2021 was the deadliest year on New Jersey highways in more than a decade, and this year is shaping up to be even worse for fatal crashes and highway deaths, according to Platkin.

HTS grants totaling more than $890,000 were given to law enforcement agencies in NJ to help pay for enforcement initiatives.

Morris County was allocated $28,000 of the total funding for the campaign.

"Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective way to prevent death and serious injury in a car crash," said Acting Attorney General Platkin. "Educating the public on the importance of buckling up is critical to our ongoing efforts to reverse the alarming uptick in fatal crashes and prevent the senseless loss of lives on New Jersey roadways."

Participating law enforcement agencies will take a "no-excuses" approach to seat belt enforcement throughout the campaign, writing citations throughout the day and with a special emphasis on nighttime enforcement, according to Platkin.

The maximum penalty for a seat belt violation in New Jersey is $46.

According to Platkin, law enforcement agencies that participated last year issued 9,755 seatbelt citations statewide, wrote 3,936 speeding tickets and arrested 555 people for impaired driving.

To learn more about the Click It or Ticket mobilization, visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.