Seat belts have been proven to be one of the best ways to save your life in a crash. Yet, many still don't buckle up. Worse still, not wearing a seat belt is a habit that will pass on to impressionable youth who, in turn, will think it is safe to not buckle up. The Click It or Ticket campaign focuses on safety education, strong laws, and law enforcement support to save lives. The New Rochelle Police Department will participate in the national campaign May 23 – June 05, 2022..

Seat Belts Save Lives

In 1984, New York State became the first state to enact a mandatory seat belt law. New York's seat belt law is a "primary enforcement law".  This means that a police officer may stop you for not having a seat belt on.

A statewide seat belt observational survey conducted in June 2019 shows that the current seat belt use rate is at a historical high of 94%. Despite these gains in usage, roughly 33% of the front-seat occupants killed on New York State roadways are unrestrained. When unbelted back seat occupants killed are included, the total unrestrained killed percentage rises to approximately 37%.

Increasing seat belt and child safety seat use is the most effective way to reduce crash-related injuries and fatalities. Buckle Up New York, Click It Or Ticket, is a statewide, zero-tolerance enforcement effort coordinated by the State Police, local agencies, sheriff's offices, and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee to increase safety restraint use in New York State.

**Effective November 1, 2020:

All motor vehicle passengers aged 16 and older must be restrained by a seat belt.

Backseat passengers in a taxi or livery who are 16 years of age or older must be restrained by a seat belt.

All passengers in a taxi or livery who are 8-15 years of age must be restrained by a seat belt.

For more information viist the Governers Traffic Safety Committee