Rhode Island Police Agencies Participating in National Click It or Ticket Mobilization

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association is pleased to share that law enforcement agencies across Rhode Island are participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort.

The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 22 to June 4. Participating law enforcement agencies across the state will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt enforcement. In Rhode Island, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $40.

According to the NHTSA, 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes in the United States in 2021.

Locally, in 2022, 55 percent of the 31 occupants killed in a motor vehicle in Rhode Island were not wearing a seat belt. To date in 2023, 67 percent of the 21 occupants killed in a motor vehicle were not wearing a seat belt.

Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash, according to the NHTSA. Properly wearing a seat belt helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas not wearing a seat belt can result in you being ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly.

Research shows that buckling up in the front seat of a passenger car can reduce your risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and moderate or critical injury by 50 percent. In a light truck, buckling up can reduce your risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate or critical injury by 65 percent.

In addition to enforcement, agencies will be working to educate drivers on the importance of seat belts to help lessen unbelted serious injuries and fatalities on roadways statewide.

To be worn properly:

• The lap belt and shoulder belt should be secured across the pelvis and rib cage, which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of the body. 
• The shoulder belt should be placed across the middle of the chest and away from the neck.
• The lap belt should rest across the hips, not the stomach.
• The shoulder belt should NEVER be put behind the back or under an arm.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization and seat belt safety, visit NHTSA.gov/ciot.