With Memorial Day right around the corner, the V.I. Police Department and Office of Highway Safety are urging drivers to buckle up during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign from May 22 to June 4.
NHTSA reported in 2021 that there were 11,813 unbuckled passengers killed in crashes, and 57 percent of passengers were killed at night, typically between 6 p.m.–5:59 a.m. Due to the high percentage of crashes reported, the Click It or Ticket campaign will have one of its primary focuses on nighttime enforcement. Police will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations both day and night.
VIPD Commissioner Ray A. Martinez said, “We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the often preventable loss of life.”
“No matter the type of vehicle you’re driving in or the type of road you’re driving on, to stay safe in a vehicle crash, wear your seat belt,” said VIOHS Director Daphne O’Neal.
“If the enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success. If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to change their habits,” said Martinez.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit NHTSA.gov/ciot or contact Director O’Neal at the V.I. Office of Highway Safety at daphne.oneal@vipd.vi.gov, or Occupant Protection Coordinator, Denise Gomes at denise.gomes@vipd.vi.gov or 340-473- 7383.
