CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to wear their seatbelts this spring as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s national Click It or Ticket campaign.
The campaign began Monday, May 23, and runs through Sunday, June 5. The national effort coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, a time when millions of Americans are expected to take to the road.
“So far this year, 81% of fatal crashes have been with a motorist not wearing seatbelt,” said Interim Administrator Lt. Col. Shannon Ratliff of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “I wish a ticket could change this high percentage and be the only consequence. Unfortunately, what we’re talking about is risking your life or the lives of your passengers when you or your passengers choose not to wear a safety belt.”
“The Click It or Ticket campaign isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives. Taking a few seconds to buckle up could be the difference between life and death.”
In 2020 in Wyoming, 44 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes, and seatbelt usage was only 82.5%, a news release states. Nationally in 2020, 10,893 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States.
Wyoming law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seatbelt law enforcement, writing citations day and night to those who do not buckle up, the Wyoming Highway Patrol stated in the release.
For information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.
