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AG Platkin and Division of Highway Traffic Safety Kick Off 2023 "Click It or Ticket" Campaign
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) announced the launch of New Jersey's annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign today, reinforcing the lifesaving importance of seat belts for drivers and passengers.
Starting now, grant funding from HTS will empower law enforcement agencies across the state to pull over drivers and passengers who neglect to buckle up. This safety initiative will continue until June 4.
The enforcement campaign's commencement aligns with HTS's sustained efforts to reduce roadway fatalities in New Jersey. As per recent data, in 2021, unbelted fatalities accounted for 160 deaths, with 47 percent of all motor vehicle occupant fatalities involving unrestrained individuals. Notably, over the past five years, nearly 24 percent of all unrestrained occupants killed in motor vehicle crashes were between the ages of 25 and 34.
"Too many New Jerseyans needlessly lose their lives due to motor vehicle-related fatalities, and reducing these preventable deaths is a top priority for my office," Attorney General Platkin said. "Our campaign will help raise awareness of this critical and proven way of preventing serious injury or death in the event of a motor vehicle crash. Seat belts save lives – it's that simple.”
For the 2023 campaign, 134 New Jersey law enforcement agencies have received a total of $798,350 in HTS grants. The funds will facilitate increased road patrols, seat belt checkpoints, and other enforcement initiatives during the "Click It or Ticket" campaign.
Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, emphasized the importance of this safety practice.
"New Jerseyans need to grasp how important it is to buckle up, every time, anywhere you are going,” Rizol said. “Taking a few seconds to buckle yourself in reduces your risk of fatal injury in a serious crash by fifty percent. There is no excuse for making the wrong decision, and if you do, you can expect to be pulled over and ticketed.”
In New Jersey, the policy towards seat belt enforcement is a "no-excuses" approach, with a maximum penalty of a $46 fine for a seat belt violation. The campaign aims to underline how a simple, quick act of buckling up can be a lifesaver.
In the previous year, law enforcement agencies participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign issued 8,373 seatbelt citations statewide, wrote 3,315 speeding summonses, and made 278 impaired driving arrests, indicating rigorous and successful enforcement of traffic safety rules.
Morris County to Receive the Following:
Boonton Township - $7,000
Morristown - $7,000
Parsippany-Troy Hills - $8,750
