Operation Click It or Ticket Enforcement Campaign Underway

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and GOHS Traffic Enforcement Networks are asking everyone at the start of summer to buckle their seat belts before every trip and to wear a life jacket when boating or swimming.

State troopers and local law enforcement in Georgia are participating in the national “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign from May 20th through June 2nd.

Officers will be working to save lives by making sure all motor vehicle occupants are properly restrained, according to Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Georgia law requires all front-seat passengers to wear a seat belt and children between the ages of 8 and 17 to wear a seat belt no matter where they are riding in a vehicle.

And children under eight are required to ride in a child safety seat recommended by the manufacturer based on the child’s height and weight.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 58 percent of the 1,092 people killed in passenger vehicle crashes in Georgia in 2022 were not wearing seat belts and the state’s annual daytime observed front-seat seat belt use rate has fallen below 90 percent for the last two years.

State troopers investigated 534 crashes and issued more than 15,500 citations and warnings during the 2023 Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Troopers also arrested 393 people for driving under the influence and issued 6,792 citations for speeding and 1,690 citations for failure to comply with Georgia’s seat belt law during last year’s Memorial Day Holiday weekend.

Poole added that In five years, Georgia’s daytime observed front-seat seat belt use rate has fallen to 87.6 percent in 2023 from 95.9 percent in 2019.

Poole, along with the Georgia State Patrol, GOHS Traffic Enforcement Networks, and GOHS Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) units offer some simple safety reminders for those traveling during the Memorial Day holiday:

1.Allow more time for your trip due to traffic
2.Wear your seat belt and make sure all passengers are properly restrained
3.Program navigation devices before getting on the road
4.Take breaks as needed and check phones and other devices during rest stops
5.Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs