Buckle up: Annual seatbelt campaign launched

Health authorities join with law enforcement to stress importance.

The Clark County Combined Health District partnered with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Clark County Safe Communities Coalition and local law enforcement to launch its annual Click it or Ticket effort, which encourages anyone in a car to wear a seatbelt.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Springfield post Lt. Christina Hayes said wearing a seatbelt is one of the simplest things a person can do to protect themselves in a car.

In 2023, there were 1,242 fatal crashes in the state, with 472 involving unbuckled occupants or drivers, Hayes said.

So far this year, six Clark Countians who weren’t wearing their seatbelts died in crashes.

“Wearing your safety belt is one of the simplest things you can do to save your life,

your family’s life, or other occupants in a vehicle,” Hayes said.

The national seat belt campaign runs from May 22 to June 4, coinciding with Memorial Day.

Currently, police cannot pull a driver over for not

buckling up. Right now, they must pull drivers over for another violation before writing a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt.

A newly introduced bill aims to change that and make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense.

Hayes said if this becomes a primary violation, that would allow law enforcement to pull drivers over just for not wearing a seatbelt.

Paul Humphries, Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) liaison, said the office has heard arguments that whether or

not a driver wears a seatbelt is their choice.

“Well your choice has such an impact on other people; none of these officers here want to stop up at your house to tell your family that you’re not going to come home tonight because you simply failed to wear your seatbelt,” Humphries said.

Humphries said drivers should take into account the fact that even if they are following every law and driving safely, other drivers may cause crashes, and a seatbelt

increases the chances of survival and reduces the risk of serious injury.

Seatbelt use in Ohio was at 80.8% in 2022, the lowest compliance rate since 2005. Humphries said the OTSO is working with the University of Akron on seatbelt surveys and to increase seatbelt use.

Buckling up takes seconds, as law enforcement and Health Commissioner Chris Cook demonstrated during a quick-click challenge where they completed a seatbelt relay.

BILL LACKEY / STAFF Members of area law enforcement and the Clark County Combined Health District took part Thursday in the Click It or Ticket campaign kickoff, encouraging anyone in a car to wear a seatbelt.

BILL LACKEY / STAFF During the “Quick Click Challenge,” four participants are timed as they quickly change positions in a car and buckle their seat belts in each seat.