By: Najla Alexander
NJ AG officials announced the launch of the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, a coordinated statewide initiative focused on changing behavior as well as enforcement efforts to drive home the life-saving importance of wearing seat belts.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin stated that running through June 2, the campaign provides grant funding to law enforcement agencies across New Jersey to enhance enforcement of the state’s seat belt laws.
This year, 105 agencies have received a total of $600,740 from HTS to support increased patrols, seat belt checkpoints, and other enforcement activities to protect individuals on New Jersey’s roads.
Attorney General Platkin said, “This campaign empowers our law enforcement partners to reinforce that message over the next few weeks. But this campaign is about more than just enforcement. It’s about changing behavior and saving lives.”
“Whether you’re commuting during rush hour or heading down the shore for the weekend, wearing your seat belt should be second nature,” said Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
In 2023, NJ AG officials say, 117 people killed in New Jersey crashes were not wearing seat belts, and unrestrained occupants accounted for 39 percent of all vehicle occupant fatalities.
Among those unrestrained fatalities, nearly one in four were between the ages of 16 and 24. Seat belt usage in New Jersey, once among the highest in the nation, has been gradually declining in recent years, according to NJ AG officials. Law enforcement and HTS are collaborating to reverse this concerning trend.
During last year’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign, NJ AG officials said participating agencies issued 7,225 seat belt citations, 508 speeding summonses, and 809 cell phone violations.
NJ AG authorities said the campaign also coincides with the beginning of the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when historically there has been a surge in crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
With increased travel during the summer months, police officers throughout New Jersey will be on patrol to improve safety and reduce roadway deaths across the state.
Additional enforcement efforts, coordinated and funded by the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, will target speeding, impaired driving, and non-compliance with New Jersey’s Move Over law over the next several months, NJ AG officials say.