(Posted May 23, 2023)
On May 18, the Madison County Safe Communities Coalition promoted seat belt safety in conjunction with the national “Click It or Ticket” awareness campaign which runs through June 4.
The London Dairy Queen provided coupons toward free ice cream cones for residents “caught” wearing their seat belts on May 18. Data collected at the event showed that 83 percent of residents were wearing their seat belts.
“This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign kickoff was a major success,” said Lauren Sweeney, Community Health Educator at Madison County Public Health. “Through our enforcement efforts, we believe we helped keep community members safe and reminded drivers of the importance of buckling up. Issuing tickets was not our goal, but it was a way to remind people of the importance of such a simple action.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 50 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2021 were unrestrained. During this year’s campaign, NHTSA urges law enforcement nationwide to issue seat belt citations to anyone caught in violation of the law–during the day, and especially at night, when 57 percent of those killed are unrestrained. The national seat belt use rate in 2022 was 91.6 percent. The Click It or Ticket campaign is focusing on the remaining 8.4 percent who still don’t buckle up. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if every person was properly restrained on the road.
Agencies represented at Madison County’s Click It or Ticket kick-off included Madison County Public Health, the Madison County Emergency Management Agency, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the London Police Department, the West Jefferson Police Department, the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office, and the West Jefferson Post of the State Highway Patrol.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, visit NHTSA.gov/ciot. For more information about the Safe Communities Coalition, ccontact Madison County Public Health at (740) 852-3065 or at info@madisonpublichealth.org.
