Although focused on Memorial Day travel, the New Jersey Click It or Ticket campaign to promote seat belt use is a year-round initiative. Seat belts save lives.

Last year 86 percent of New Jersey police agencies participated in the campaign, which resulted in 981 child restraint violations issued, 4,951 speeding citations and 861 DWI arrests over the Memorial Day weekend. This year 90 percent of New Jersey police departments are expected to join the Click It or Ticket campaign with Ocean County towns Barnegat, Beachwood, Berkeley, Jackson, Lakehurst, Lakewood, Manchester, Toms River and Ship Bottom part of the state-wide drive to end automobile fatalities. Participating municipalities received a $4,000 grant to promote the program, which runs from May 20 through June 2. However, the lessons learned from Click It or Ticket will be enforced year-round.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration:

• 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger car occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
• People are less likely to buckle up at night, making nighttime accidents more deadly.
• 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger car occupants killed overnight were not wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
• In 2011 seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide.

New Jersey passed a law in 2010 making it a secondary offense for adults to ride unbuckled in the back seat of a car. Unrestrained adults are subject to a $46 summons and fine. The state’s primary seat belt law requires all motorists and passengers in the front seat, including passengers under the age of 18, to wear a seat belt or be securely buckled in a car seat, or face a $46 fine. This ticket is issued to the driver.

If you are in a car accident, be sure to confer with experienced counsel who knows all aspects of New Jersey law to protect your interests.