Shenandoah National Park is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during the Memorial Day holiday to encourage drivers and passengers to buckle up.
The national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement effort runs May 20 to June 2.
“We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers,” said Chief Ranger Cynthia Sirk-Fear. “Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. So often, it could have been prevented.”
One of the focuses of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. NHTSA data shows a higher number of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities happen at night.
“If the enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” said Sirk-Fear.
“If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.”