Submitted story
The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to buckle up during the national Click It or Ticket Campaign. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 22 to June 4.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2021, there were 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. The Sheriff’s Office will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
In Champaign County, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $100 and $175 for a child restraint violation. From 2020 to 2023, there were 18 fatal traffic crashes in Champaign County. From those 18 fatal crashes, 11 community members were not wearing a seat belt.
Although the focus is on seat belt compliance, deputies will increase their enforcement for aggressive, distracted, and impaired driving through the enforcement period.
“If the enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” said Sheriff Matt Melvin. “If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, ask them to buckle up. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of not buckling up.”
For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit NHTSA.gov/ciot or the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, publicsafety.ohio.gov
Info from sheriff’s office
