MICHIGAN, USA — Be sure to buckle up or else you may have to pay up as Michigan's spring 2023 "Click It or Ticket" seat belt enforcement campaign kicks off today.
Police all over the state will be on the lookout for drivers not wearing their seat belts over the next several weeks.
The campaign runs from May 15 through June 4 and if you are caught not wearing a seat belt, you could face a $65 fine.
Between 2019 and 2022, seat belt usage in Michigan fell from 94.4% to 92.9%. 254 people who were killed in crash in Michigan during 2021 were not wearing a seat belt, a increase of about 11% from the previous year.
“Wearing a seat belt is the most effective thing you can do to reduce injuries and save lives—and buckling up should be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said Katie Bower, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. “It’s not just the safe thing to do—it’s the law.”
Michigan law says that anyone sitting in a front seat and anyone under the age of 15 is required to wear a seat belt. Children under the age of 8 or shorter than 4'9" must be in a car seat or booster seat and children under 4 must be seated in the back.
The state reminds drivers to follow these guidelines when you buckle up:
- The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the hips and shoulder, which are more able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
- Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
- The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
- NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.
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