“If you ask the family members of those unrestrained people who were killed in crashes, they’ll tell you – they wish their loved ones had buckled up,” said Sheriff J.T. “Pancho” Chumley “The bottom line is that seat belts save lives.  If these enforcement crackdowns get people’s attention and get them to buckle up, then we’ve done our job.  There is no good excuse for not wearing a seat belt.”

According to Tennessee’s Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (TITAN), 349 people killed in Tennessee traffic crashes last year were not wearing a seat belt. This represents approximately 34 percent of the state’s total traffic fatalities in 2016.

Although the state’s average seat belt usage rate increased from 86.2 percent in 2015 to 88.95 percent in 2016, Tennessee is still nationally classified as a “low use” state. In 2017, the THSO strives to change this by achieving 90 percent or higher.

 “Our goal is to prevent fatalities and keep the roadways safe,” said Vic Donoho, Director of the THSO. “We ask every Tennessean to buckle up, every trip, every time.”

According to the NHTSA, nearly half of the 22,441 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2015 was unrestrained. At night from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., that number soared to 57 percent of those killed. Therefore, the primary focus of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement. In Tennessee, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $50.00.

For more information about seat belt safety or the THSO, visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.