2020 CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN                                                                      

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: [6-11-2020]

CONTACT: Sheriff Todd Volk

Click It or Ticket seat belt ENFORCEMENT EFFORT was successful

Madison, Nebraska— From May 18-31, Madison County Sheriff Department successfully shined a spotlight on seat belt use during its annual Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement campaign. Law enforcement officers wrote a total of 5 citations for seat belt violations in the process. The campaign, which included the Memorial Day holiday weekend, one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year, was twofold: to combine increased enforcement and a zero-tolerance policy, with effective communication to road users on the importance of seat belt use. The campaign kicked off with a collaborative Border to Border effort, a 1-day national seat belt awareness event coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons.

“This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign was a real success,” said Todd Volk. “Through our enforcement efforts, we believe we made progress. We don’t measure success by number of tickets issued; it’s about reaching people and promoting a simple, lifesaving habit.”  

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly half of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2018 were unrestrained. During this year’s campaign, NHTSA urged law enforcement nationwide to issue seat belt citations to anyone caught in violation of the law—during the day, and at night, when 56% of those killed are unrestrained. By adding patrols at night, and training officers on specific techniques to catch nighttime violators, the campaign—and the nighttime focus—was a “major success,” according to Sheriff  Volk.

Deputies had 99 contacts with the public during this period. 35 citations were issued for multiple violations. This year proved to be difficult with all the obstacles with the Covid epidemic. “My Deputies worked hard and safely through the conditions to help educate the public with seat belt usage.” said Sheriff Volk.

A pre and post wave survey was done to see if the whether the enforcement was a success. A 10 percent increase in seatbelt usage was found in Madison County at the conclusion of the mobilization. “The goal was to educate the public and save lives,” said Sheriff Volk.

The national seat belt use rate in 2018 was 89.6%. The Click It or Ticket campaign exists for the remaining 10.4% who still don’t buckle up. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if every person was properly restrained on the road.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.