BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – As everyone hits the road for Memorial Day Weekend and kicks off the summer full of traveling, don’t be surprised to find an increased amount of law enforcement officers out on the roads also, reminding everyone to wear a seatbelt as part of the annual Click it or Ticket campaign.
“Click it or Ticket campaign is something that not only officers in West Virginia run, but everywhere across the U.S,” says Sergeant Jamie Wilhite of the Beckley Police Department. “This year it is being conducted between May 14th and May 31st, and so that just means there will be additional patrols out enforcing seatbelt violations.”
A campaign that started in North Carolina in 1993, this important initiative soon took hold across the nation, as it addresses the serious consequences travelers face by choosing not to wear a seatbelt.
“The most serious consequence would be death if they were involved in a vehicle crash,” he says.
While the alternative consequence of getting a $25 fine does not seem as severe, the Beckley PD, as well as police officers everywhere, are urgent to remind people of how important such an action is, particularly during such a busy time of year.
“Memorial Day is one of the most dangerous holidays to drive on when you go back and look at all the numbers,” Wilhite reminds us. “We just want to do our part to make sure everybody on the roadway can be as safe as possible.”
West Virginia sees up to 60 to 70 fatalities every year because of people simply not wearing a seatbelt, and it’s a well-known fact now that seatbelts really do save lives.
