HONOLULU (KHON2) — In honor of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign running next week, the Department of Transportation partnered with local law enforcement to remind drivers about the importance of wearing a seat belt.
The campaign will run from May 20 to June 2 with Hawaii officials placing a special emphasis on the “life-saving benefits” seat belts have for drivers.
The emphasis comes after officials revealed that 50% of Hawaii’s recent traffic fatality victims were not wearing seat belts at the time of their incidents.
According to HDOT, 42% of traffic fatality victims in 2023 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
HDOT said the “Click It or Ticket” campaign will utilize law enforcement officers in relaying the message out to drivers and passengers.
Buckling up properly can save your life and the lives of others in your vehicle by reducing impact force, reducing the risk of being ejected in a crash, and reducing the chance of impact with the vehicle interior or other passengers. Hawai‘i law requires everyone in moving vehicle be properly restrained regardless of where they are sitting. Click it. Don’t risk it.
Hawaii Department of Transportation
Drivers who are spotted without their seat belt buckled are subject to a citation. On Oahu, Big Island, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, the fine for unbuckled drivers is $102. On Kauai, the fine is $112.
Reports said law enforcement officials in all four counties issued over 9,000 seat belt citations and over 900 child safety seat citations in 2023 alone.
So far, over 2,000 seat belt citations and 196 child safety seat citations have been issued in 2024.
To learn more about the “Click It or Ticket” initiative, visit the NHTSA’s website.