Once again, the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is reminding motorists to Click It or Ticket. West Virginia’s seat belt law is a primary offense, which means law enforcement can and will pull you over for not wearing a seat belt. As part of the national seat belt enforcement campaign, law enforcement agencies around the country will be stepping up their enforcement throughout the month of May with Click It or Ticket.
At 6:00 p.m. on May 18th, several law enforcement agencies across West Virginia will join forces with agencies across the Eastern United States in a “Border to Border” Operation. This event will provide increased seat belt enforcement at state borders, sending a zero tolerance message to the public that driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what state they are in.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 9,580 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2013 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. Unbelted fatalities are more prevalent at night than during the daytime, with 59 percent of those killed during the overnight hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. unbelted at the time of the crash.
Tragically, these national statistics are mirrored locally. In West Virginia, 60 unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants were killed at night, compared to 53 who were unrestrained and killed during daytime crashes. Of all West Virginia passenger vehicle occupants killed in nighttime crashes, 56 percent were unbelted.
For more information please call the GHSP at 304-926-2509 or visit www.dmv.wv.gov/ghsp.
