The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office is stepping up efforts to ensure motorists buckle up as we kick off a high-visibility seat belt enforcement operation beginning today. This initiative is part of the statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign, conducted in partnership with the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
Deputies will be actively patrolling to enforce seat belt laws, reminding drivers and passengers that wearing a seat belt is not only the law but also a crucial step in preventing injuries and saving lives. This campaign aims to increase compliance and raise awareness about the importance of seat belt use.
“Seat belts save lives. Our goal is not to issue citations, but to encourage everyone to buckle up and make it a habit,†said Kanawha County Sheriff Joe Crawford. “We want all drivers and passengers to travel safely, and we will do our part to enforce seat belt laws to keep our roads safe.â€
The national seat belt use rate in 2023 was 91.9%, which is good but can be better. The other 8.1% still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives. In West Virginia, the seat belt use rate in 2024 was 91.98%.
One focus 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. Also, seat belt use differs among females and males. Of the males killed in crashes in 2021, more than half (54%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 42% were not buckled up.
The Click It or Ticket campaign serves as a reminder that seat belts save lives. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office urges everyone to always buckle up—every trip, every time.
