Philadelphia, PA – An event was held today at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to encourage drivers to wear seat belts as part of the nationwide "Click It or Ticket" campaign. The event was attended by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the Philadelphia Police Department, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, the Delaware State Police (DSP), the Delaware River Port Authority, and AAA Mid-Atlantic. The campaign will run until June 2 and aims to enforce nationwide seat belt usage.
“A seat belt can save your life, but only if you use it,” said New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director Michael J. Rizol, Jr. “By working alongside our state and federal partners during the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, we reinforce this crucially important safety messaging to the public, reminding them that not only is it irresponsible and dangerous to not buckle up, but it’s also illegal.”
With the backing of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Pennsylvania State Police and municipal police departments throughout the state have joined forces to send a clear message to drivers who do not wear their seatbelts through enforcement and public awareness campaigns. Furthermore, on May 13, police departments across state borders started collaborating through the Border-to-Border initiative to ensure that all drivers wear seatbelts.
“As the Assistant Director of Public Information for the Delaware State Police, I am proud to announce our partnership in the nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign. In 2024, Delaware experienced 17 fatalities resulting from motorists who did not buckle up. Safeguarding lives on our roadways remains our top priority, and through coordinated efforts like the Border-to-Border kick-off event, we aim to reinforce the importance of seatbelt usage. Together, we have the power to effect substantial change, ensuring safer travels for all,” said DSP Assistant Director of Public Information Master Corporal Lewis Briggs.
The Phillie Phanatic teamed up with law enforcement to promote safe driving and seat belt use. At the event, officials presented the Phanatic with his own seat belt.
In Pennsylvania, it is mandatory for drivers and passengers who are 18 years or older to wear seat belts while driving or riding in the front passenger seat. If you are a driver aged 18 or older and get pulled over by the police for any violation, you will receive a second ticket if you or your front-seat passengers are not wearing seat belts.
"Seat belt usage is not an option, it's a legal obligation. We want to ensure that every driver and passenger understands the importance of wearing seat belts at all times," stated PennDOT Executive Director Din Abazi. "Our goal is to make wearing seat belts a non-negotiable habit for everyone."
Pennsylvania’s Primary Seat Belt Law requires drivers and passengers under 18 years of age to buckle up anywhere in the vehicle. Additionally, drivers under 18 may not operate a vehicle where the number of passengers exceeds the number of available seat belts.
“Wearing your seat belt is your best line of defense against injury. Set an example for others to follow. Fasten your seat belt, someone needs you. Don’t learn safety by accident,” said PSP Trooper Jessica Tobin. “Visit our website at www.psp.pa.gov to learn more about child passenger safety and occupant protection.”
Under Pennsylvania’s Primary Child Passenger Safety Law, children under the age of four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle. Additionally, children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until they exceed the maximum weight or height requirements set by the seat manufacturer. Children must ride in an appropriate booster seat until their eighth birthday.
The national seat belt use rate in 2023 was 91.9 percent, which is good – but it can be better. The other 8.1 percent still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
In 2023 there were 3,736 crashes in the Philadelphia region where at least one occupant was not wearing a seat belt, resulting in 80 fatalities.
For more information on seat belt safety visit, www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.
PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, and seat belts for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
For a complete list of construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, visit the District 6 Traffic Bulletin.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6.
Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Krys Johnson, krysjohnso@pa.gov
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