Motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware. Indiana’s 2012 Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement will begin this Friday, May 18, said Lawrenceburg Police Lt. Brian Miller.

This national mobilization will take place over the Memorial Day holiday period and is supported by thousands of law enforcement agencies and traffic safety advocates across the country.  In Indiana, more than 250 law enforcement agencies will conduct special patrols – day and night, to identify and ticket unrestrained motorists.  The effort ends Sunday, June 3.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2010 nationally, 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes overnight (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 42 percent during the daytime hours.

In Indiana, there were 3,322 crashes involving unrestrained drivers/occupants in 2011 and 2012 fatalities involving unrestrained drivers/occupants. 

Just last year in Indiana, 1,024 people were ejected from their motor vehicles due to being unrestrained.  Nationwide, younger motorists and men are particularly at risk. 

“Dearborn County motorists should be prepared to see more law enforcement on the roads during this 15-day period. Special patrols will take place around the clock, and if law enforcement finds you on the road unbuckled at any time, you can expect to get a ticket.  No excuses and no exceptions,” said Miller.

Click It or Ticket is an annual enforcement effort that is supported by federal Highway Safety funding awarded to more than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies from ICJI’s Traffic Safety division.