2021 CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN                                                                      

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: [5-12-2021]

CONTACT: [Sheriff Todd Volk]

Click It or Ticket Campaign Reminds Drivers:

Buckle Up May 24 – June 6, and Every Day

[Madison County, Nebraska] — [Madison County Sheriff Department] is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt this spring, during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 24 to June 6, 2021.

“We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers,” said Sheriff Todd Volk. “It’s not just a safe thing to do – it’s the law. 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 message gets out to drivers and passengers. In Nebraska, we know that 3 out of 10 occupants do not buckle up each and every trip. 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 loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.”

“Madison County Sheriff Department is excited to participate once again in Click it or ticket it,” said Sheriff Todd Volk.  “This grant is extremely important for educating the public and I am very impressed with the citizens of Madison County this year”. “A pre survey has been done on 100 vehicles and only 4 vehicles and occupants out of 100 weren’t wearing seatbelts”.

According to the NDOT Highway Safety Office, in 2020, there were 132 (78%) unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in Nebraska. In comparison with other states, Nebraska has the 4^th worst observed seat belt usage in the United States. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In Nebraska, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $25.00.

“If the enforcement effort wakes people up to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” said Sheriff Volk. “If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.”

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit https://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/hso/.     

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