LANSING, Mich. — Monday the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) is launching a Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement to remind everyone about the importance of buckling up.
“Three out of four people ejected from a vehicle in a crash will die,” said OHSP Director Michael L. Prince. “Wearing a seat belt is the simplest thing you can do to reduce injuries and save lives. It’s the easiest decision you will ever make. Buckle up every trip, every time.”
During the three-week period, officers from police departments, sheriff’s offices and the Michigan State Police will be conducting seat belt enforcement across the state.
The campaign includes the Thanksgiving holiday weekend Nov. 26-29. In 2019, there were seven fatalities on Michigan roads during the holiday weekend. Four of the seven deaths involved drivers and passengers who were not wearing seat belts.
In Michigan, the seat belt usage rate stands at 94.4%. The national seat belt use rate in 2019 was 90.7%. Seat belts are the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), buckling up can reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a crash by 45 percent.
According to the State of Michigan’s website, seat belts have saved 344,448 lives since 1975, when the NHTSA first began recording data on seat belt use. An additional 381,787 lives could have been saved if everyone had been wearing a seat belt since.
The State encourages drivers and passengers to follow these guidelines when you buckle up:
- The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the hips and shoulder, which are more able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
- Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
- The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
- NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.
Michigan law requires drivers, front-seat passengers and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. The fine and associated costs for not wearing a seat belt is $65. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4′9″ tall, and children under 4 years old must be in the back seat.
The campaign runs Nov. 9-29.
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