Most people killed in auto accidents would be alive today if they had only remembered to buckle up, and Evanston police officers want to make sure you don’t forget to do that.
That’s why the department is participating in the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign that runs from now through the Memorial Day weekend, which law enforcement authorities say is one of the busiest travel and holiday periods of the year.
“Our law enforcement personnel see firsthand the loss of life when people refuse to buckle up,” said Traffic Sgt. Tracy Williams. “It’s such a simple and effective way to protect yourself while traveling. As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, we want to make sure people are doing everything they can to stay safe in the unfortunate event of a crash.”
Williams says that, although Illinois has a 93.8 percent observed seat belt usage rate, in more than half the 1,093 traffic deaths last year, where restraint usage was known, some 54 percent of those killed were not wearing seat belts.
“Seat belts save lives,” he said, ”and every vehicle occupant—front seat and back, child and adult—needs to remember to buckle up, every trip, every time.”