Click it. Or ticket.
2019 Click it. Or ticket. Ad (Radio) |
Seat belts have been proven to be one of the best ways to save your life in a crash. Yet many still don't buckle up. The Click it. Or ticket. campaign focuses on safety education, strong laws and law enforcement officers saving lives.
Be Part of the Progress
Law enforcement agencies across the nation are stepping up enforcement to crack down on motorists who aren't wearing their seat belts. The Click it. Or ticket. campaign aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled corridors and checkpoints.
Enforce Lifesaving Laws
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Click it. Or ticket. isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives. In 2017, there were 10,076 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. To help prevent crash fatalities, we need to step up enforcement and crack down on those who don’t wear their seat belts.
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Seat belt use is required by law for a reason: In 2017, seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives of occupants 5 and older. From 2013 to 2017, seat belts saved nearly 69,000 lives.
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If all passenger vehicle occupants 5 and older involved in fatal crashes had worn their seat belts, an additional 2,549 lives could have been saved in 2017 alone.
Face the Facts
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The national seat belt use rate in 2017 was 89.7 percent, which is good—but we can do better. The other 10.3 percent still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives.
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Among young adults 18 to 34 killed in crashes in 2017, more than half (57%) were completely unrestrained—one of the highest percentages for all age groups.
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Men make up the majority of those killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. In 2017, 65 percent of the 23,551 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed were men. It comes as no surprise that men wear their seat belts at a lower rate than women do—51 percent of men killed in crashes were unrestrained, compared to 39 percent of women.
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High-visibility seat belt enforcement is important 24 hours a day, but nighttime is especially deadly for unbuckled occupants. In 2017, 55 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts.
Bust the Myths
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Vehicle type: There seems to be a misconception among those who drive and ride in pickup trucks that their large vehicles will protect them better than other vehicles would in a crash. The numbers say otherwise: 59 percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed in 2017 were not buckled. That’s compared to 42 percent of passenger car occupants who were not wearing seat belts when they were killed. Regardless of vehicle type, seat belt use is the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash.
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Seating position: Too many people wrongly believe they are safe in the back seat unrestrained. Forty-six percent of all front-seat passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2017 were unrestrained, but 56 percent of those killed in back seats were unrestrained.
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Rural versus urban locations: People who live in rural areas might believe that their crash exposure is lower, but in 2017, there were 12,786 passenger vehicle fatalities in rural locations, compared to 10,316 fatalities in urban locations. Out of those fatalities, 49 percent of those killed in the rural locations were not wearing their seat belts, compared to 44 percent in urban locations.
Click it. Or ticket.—Day and Night
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High-visibility seat belt enforcement is important 24 hours a day, but nighttime is especially deadly for unbuckled occupants. In 2017, 55 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts.
Learn more about the Click it. Or ticket. mobilization at NHTSA.gov/CIOT.
#JustDrive
Distracted driving has become a national epidemic—endangering passengers, adjacent vehicle occupants, motorcyclists and bicyclists, and nearby pedestrians. While we generally think of distracted driving as texting or talking on the cell phone, it can take many other forms: adjusting the radio station, applying makeup, eating, chatting with other passengers, or taking a sip of your drink can all distract a driver from the essential task of safe driving. Texting has become one of the most common, pervasive forms of distracted driving, and too many drivers are succumbing to this deadly—and often, illegal—habit. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Kansas Department of Transportation wants to help spread the word of the dangers of distracted driving. Learn more about the numbers behind this dangerous trend.
The Frightening Stats
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Between 2012-2017, nearly 20,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver.
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), there were 3,166 people killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2017. While this reflects a 9 percent decrease from 2016 to 2017, there is still much work to be done. In the last six years, 9.5 percent of all fatal crashes involved a distracted driver.
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Texting while driving has become an especially problematic trend among younger drivers. In fact, in 2017, 8 percent of people killed in teen (15-19) driving crashes died when the teen drivers were distracted at the times of the crashes.
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According to NHTSA, young drivers 16- to 24-years-old have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007.
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Female drivers with a cell phone have been more likely to be involved in fatal distracted driving crashes as compared to male drivers every year since 2012.
Safety Tips for Driving
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If you are expecting a text message or need to send one, pull over and park your car in a safe location. Once you are safely off the road and parked, it is safe to text.
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Designate your passenger as your “designated texter.” Allow them access to your phone to respond to calls or messages.
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Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving. Cell phone use can be habit-forming. Struggling to not text and drive? Put the cell phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of the vehicle until you arrive at your destination.
Put Your Phone Away or Get Ready to Pay
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When you get behind the wheel, be an example to your family and friends by putting your phone away. Texting and driving isn’t trendy “normal” behavior—it’s a selfish, deadly and, oftentimes, illegal activity that could kill you, a loved one, a friend, or a stranger.
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In 47 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, texting while driving is an illegal, ticketable offense. You could end up paying a hefty fine, and could get points on your license.
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If you see something, say something. If your friends text while driving, tell them to stop. Listen to your passengers: If they catch you texting while driving and tell you to put your phone away, put it down.
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Remember, when you get behind the wheel, put your phone away. U Drive. U Text. U Pay.
For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.
Kansas Seat Belt Resources
Seat Belts
One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. In 2017, seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives. Many Americans understand the lifesaving value of the seat belt – the national use rate was at 89.6 percent in 2018. Understand the potentially fatal consequences of not wearing a seat belt and learn what you can do to make sure you and your family are properly buckled up every time. As of 2018, the Kansas seat belt usage rate is 84%.
Top 5 Things You Should Know About Buckling Up:
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Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash
Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected from a vehicle is almost always deadly. -
Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them
If you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag. Such force could injure or even kill you. Learn about air bag safety. -
Guidelines to buckle up safely
- The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the pelvis and rib cage, which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
- Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
- The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
- NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm. -
Fit matters
- Before you buy a new car, check to see that its seat belts are a good fit for you.
- Ask your dealer about seat belt adjusters, which can help you get the best fit.
- If you need a roomier belt, contact your vehicle manufacturer to obtain seat belt extenders.
- If you drive an older or classic car with lap belts only, check with your vehicle manufacturer about how to retrofit your car with today’s safer lap/shoulder belts. -
Seat belt safety for children and pregnant women
Find out when your child is ready to use an adult seat belt and learn about seat belt safety when you’re pregnant.
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Seatbelts During Pregnancy
Driving Behaviors
Kansans are starting to learn about the dangers of distracted driving, but because Kansas has a ZERO tolerance for preventable deaths due to distractions, we still have room for improvement.
Top Contributing Circumstances for crashes:
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Inattention
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Animals
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Failing to Yield Right of Way
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Too Fast for weather conditions
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Following too closely
NHTSA Distracted Driving
It's All About Safety (Brochure) |
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