OHIO — State, county and local departments across the state are conducting their annual 'Click It or Ticket' campaign from now through June 1.
Law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuse approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
In Ohio, the seat belt compliance rate in Ohio is around 85%, which is below the national average. Cuyahoga County has the lowest overall compliance rate at just 59%.
So far this year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has issued more than 20,000 seat belt violations across the state.
With the long Memorial Day weekend and summer driving season upon us, officers hope the campaign spreads a message.
"The Memorial Day weekend is highly trafficked," Captain Brian Gunder, with the Richland County Sheriff's Office, said. "So, we ask everybody to be mindful and be safe. Mind the speed limit and wear your seat belt. Hopefully, we'll have a productive and happy holiday."
Under Ohio law, not wearing a seat belt is a secondary offense, meaning police cannot pull you over just because you're not complying.
Still, officers like Gunder are stressing the dangers of not wearing a seat belt. More than 2,600 people in Ohio have been killed in traffic crashes where they were not wearing a seat belt since 2020. Cuyahoga County led the state in unbelted fatalities and injuries under that same time period.
Violating Ohio's seat belt laws can result in fines for both drivers and passengers. The fine for a driver is typically around $30, while the fine for a passenger is around $20.
