The Jefferson City Police Department (JCPD) will join other law enforcement agencies across the state starting today for "Click It or Ticket" in an effort to crack down on Missouri's seat belt violations and to reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
The effort will continue through the rest of May.
Six out of 10 people killed in Missouri traffic crashes are unbuckled. Even with all the advancements in automobile safety and education on the importance of seat belt use, Missouri's seat belt use has remained relatively unchanged in the last six years.
Missouri has a 79 percent seat belt usage rate, which is well below the national average of 87 percent. Among those least likely to buckle up are teens and pickup truck drivers who buckle up 67 and 63 percent of the time, respectively.
Using a seat belt is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
"Don't allow yourself to become a statistic; every day, someone in Missouri dies or is seriously injured in a crash because they weren't wearing a seat belt," said Sgt. Doug Ruediger, JCPD's traffic section supervisor.