“We have come a long way in the last decade with regards to increasing seat belt usage in New Jersey,” said Attorney General Peter C. Harvey. “The bottom line, though, is that too many people still are not buckling up, and that is resulting in deaths and serious injuries on our roads, especially to children. Click It or Ticket is a life offering program. Motorists who are not buckled up will receive a ticket.”

“New Jersey’s seat belt usage rate is currently 81%,” said Roberto Rodriguez, Director of the Division. “Our goal for the Click It or Ticket campaign is to drive that usage rate ever higher, which will result in lives saved.”

To promote the program in New Jersey, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety has awarded 205 Click It or Ticket grants to local, state, and county police departments. The grants will fund high visibility seat belt enforcement patrols during the two week mobilization period. Other police agencies have committed to support the campaign without the assistance of grant funding. To further raise awareness, the Division began a paid media advertising campaign this week with the Click It or Ticket theme.

Use of a seat belt reduces a motor vehicle occupant’s risk of fatal injury by 45% and reduces the risk of moderate or critical injury by 50%. (Source: NHTSA) Today’s announcement of the 2004 Click It or Ticket campaign came at the state’s annual “101 Days of Summer” kickoff, an event designed to promote traffic safety at the start of the summer season.

New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety 2004 Click It or Ticket Grants: