‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign underway through May 31, with Sarasota Police Department among participants

In 2018, 9,778 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in U.S. crashes

Image courtesy Sarasota Police Department

The Sarasota Police Department is reminding all drivers and passengers in vehicles the importance of seat belt use, the department has announced.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers are still traveling throughout the city of Sarasota, and Sarasota Police officers want everyone to buckle up, a news release says.

The department is joining law enforcement agencies from around the state and country in partnering for the Click It or Ticket campaign, the release continues. The annual initiative is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort, the release points out. Click It or Ticket will be in effect from May 18 to May 31, the release adds.

In 2018, 9,778 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the release says. During that same year, 56% of passenger vehicle occupants killed between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts, the release adds. “That is why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement,” the release points out.

“Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night,” the release continues. In the city of Sarasota, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is a $116 citation, the release notes.

“During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the seat belt safety message gets out to all drivers and passengers,” said Sgt. Anthony Frangioni of the Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit, in the release. “By far, buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash,” he added in the release. “We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life and devastating injuries that could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt. That’s why buckling up is more than just a good idea — it’s the law,” Frangioni pointed out in the release.