The Greene County Safe Community Coalition is partnering with AAA to raise awareness for the annual “Click-It-Or-Ticket” campaign.
Seat belt use in the Midwest was at 89.1 percent in 2018, the second lowest in the United States.
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“We’d like to see those numbers go up,” AAA spokeswoman Kara Hitchens told News Center 7 on Thursday. “We want to make sure everyone in Greene County and the whole Miami Valley area makes sure they buckle their seat belts.”
Each year about 33,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of death in crash.
In 2019, six people have died in Greene County as a result of fatal car crashes. Four of those people were not wearing a seat belt, Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. John Chesser said.
Teen drivers are especially at risk during the summer.
“In most cases they are joyriding,” Hitchens said. “We encourage parents and teens to make a pact with each other to agree as to where they’re going. When you’re driving with a purpose you tend to drive more carefully.”
The campaign runs from May 20 to June 2, and drivers might notice more troopers.
“We have extra people working during this campaign, looking for seat belt violations,” Chesser said.
"With summer vacations coming up, buckling up every trip, every time can be a lifesaver,” Hitchens said.