HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – In a motor vehicle accident, wearing a seatbelt can prevent serious injury or even death.
Officials in West Virginia are raising awareness about the importance of seatbelt usage.
in 2022, 49% of all passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in West Virginia were unrestrained.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program is coordinating a statewide Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement.
GHSP Director Jack McNeely said that to help save lives, enforcement needs to be stepped up — day and night.
“Our seatbelt usage decreased to 91.9% in 2024, from 93.0% in 2023,” McNeely said. “While we are displeased with this decrease, we will keep working until every person in every vehicle is correctly buckled up. A seatbelt is your best protection against death or injury should you be in a vehicle crash.”
McNeely says that if a person receives a ticket, they should look at it as a wake-up call, because a ticket is far less expensive than paying with your life.
“The reality is: seatbelts save lives,” he said. “Click it or ticket isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives. not buckling up is not worth the risk.”
The specialized enforcement runs through the 25th of this month.
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