The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) has announced a spring "Click It or Ticket" seat belt enforcement campaign on Monday through Sunday, June 2.
Over the two-week campaign, city, and county police departments across the state conduct high-visibility seat belt enforcement and issue fines to help keep motorists and their passengers safe and secure inside their vehicles in the case of a crash.
“The enforcement period is designed to save lives by reminding drivers and all vehicle occupants that buckling up is the most effective thing you can do to stay safe on our roadways,” said Katie Bower, OHSP director, in a news release. “With the arrival of warmer weather, there is an increase in the number of people traveling to meet up with family and friends. We want to encourage drivers and passengers to buckle up so that everyone makes it to their destinations safely.”
In 2022, 244 occupants killed in Michigan traffic crashes, including 21 fatal crashes that occurred over Memorial Day weekend alone, were not wearing a seatbelt, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that half of the 25,420 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in traffic crashes in 2022 were not wearing their seatbelt, and estimates that buckling up can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 40% in the instance of a traffic crash.
Michigan law states that drivers, front-seat passengers, and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position must be buckled up. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are age 8 or 4 feet, 9 inches tall, and children under 4 must be in the back seat.
The fine and associated costs for not wearing a seat belt are $65.
“Wearing your seatbelt is not just the safe thing to do — it’s the law,” Bower said. “MSP troopers, local police, and county sheriff’s offices will be conducting high-visibility enforcement as we work collectively to help address these disturbing crash numbers.”
For more information, visit michigan.gov.
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