The UTHSC Campus Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) to remind motorists to “Click It or Ticket” as the Thansgiving holiday approaches. From November 16-29, participating agencies across the state will increase seat belt enforcement as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) nationwide mobilization. This is the fourth year the department has participated.
“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 UTHSC Lieutenant Joanne Morrow. “By far, buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash.”
According to NHTSA, 9,778 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States in 2018. That year, 56 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign is nighttime enforcement. UTHSC and other participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. A violation of the seat belt laws in Tennessee is considered a Class C misdemeanor charge. A person convicted of this violation can, in lieu of a court appearance, pay a fine of $25 for a first violation and $50 for a second or subsequent violation.
For more information about seat belt safety or the THSO, visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.