Click It Or Ticket
SALT LAKE CITY — Over 18 law enforcement agencies throughout the state will work more than 120 overtime shifts to stop and educate motorists who aren’t wearing seat belts. The Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) is coordinating the seat belt blitz through Monday. The effort will focus on daytime and nighttime seat belt use.
While seat belt use has increased from 91.8% in 2022 to 92.4% in 2023, DPS and the Utah Highway Safety Office (UHSO) are still urging Utahns to use the safety device every time they get in the car. There were 64 unrestrained fatalities in 2023, over half (56%) of which occurred between 6 pm and 6 am when seat belt use tends to decrease.
UHP Lieutenant Cameron Roden said, “Over the last five years, unrestrained fatalities accounted for nearly a third of total vehicle occupant roadway deaths in Utah; in 2023, it was 43%. Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device by helping occupants stay in place, avoid becoming projectiles, and help drivers maintain control of the vehicle in a crash. They save about 15,000 lives a year.”
Not only is it critical to buckle up every time, no matter the distance, it’s equally as important to wear that seat belt properly. The Highway Safety Office reminds travelers that seat belts should be placed on the hips and across the collarbone, away from the neck. It should never be worn behind the back or arm, and passengers should never recline their seats or put their feet on the dashboard.
To further encourage Utahns to wear seat belts, the “Defy Death” campaign is on social media, TV, billboards, and online. The campaign features the Grim Reaper attempting to persuade drivers not to buckle up. DPS hopes these humorous spots will encourage increased seat belt use among those typically resistant to the Click It or Ticket message.
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