Raleigh – Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May as Seat Belt Safety Awareness Month to stress the
importance of buckling up in both the front and backs seats when riding in a
motor vehicle.
North Carolina law requires occupants in the front and rear seats
of a passenger vehicle to be properly restrained by using a seat belt. Many
passengers mistakenly believe they are safer in the rear seat and do not need to
wear a seat belt. In 2017, 42 percent of automobile fatalities in North
Carolina were drivers or passengers who were not wearing their seat belt.
The best way to protect yourself in a crash is by wearing a seat
belt," said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governors Highway Safety Program.
“It doesn’t matter where you are in a car. Simply buckling up can save your life
and the life of your passenger.”
The Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s 2017 annual Seat Belt
Survey reported that 91.4 percent of front seat drivers and passengers wear
their seat belt. In 2017 the number of unrestrained serious injuries increased
in North Carolina from 583 in 2016 to 857 and unrestrained fatalities decreased
from 449 to 412 in that same period.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Program is partnering with state and
local law enforcement to conduct their annual Click It or
Ticket enforcement campaign around the Memorial Day holiday.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Program will run a campaign
throughout the month to remind travelers to Click It or Ticket.
Every Seat. Every Time. It’s the Law.
Click It or Ticket complements the NC Vision
Zero initiative, which aims to save lives on North Carolina roadways.
The goal is to reach zero traffic-related fatalities through data-driven safety
interventions.