As the unofficial start of summer, the beginning of summer and the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend is a busy time for Americans.  Each year, the highways fill with families in vehicles, on their way to start their summer vacations.

To help keep drivers and passengers stay safe, the Sarasota Police Department is reminding motorists to Click It or Ticket.  Aimed at enforcing seat belt use to help keep families safe, the national seat belt campaign will take place May 13 through June 2, concurrent with the busy travel season.

“Buckling up is a simple task that can keep you and your family safe in the car,” said Sergeant Anthony Frangioni, Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit.  “But it’s more than that.  Buckling up is the law.  Our Officers see the consequences of not buckling up.  We see the loss of life.  Often, it could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt.  This should be automatic for every driver and passenger in a vehicle,” said Sgt. Frangioni.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2017, there were 10,076 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States.  In that same year, 55 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night, between 6 p.m. and 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.  Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. 

“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,” said Sgt. Frangioni.  “Help us spread this life-saving 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—every trip, every time.”

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