Your car’s safety belt is one of the best ways to keep safe while driving. In fact, a 2016 study revealed that roughly 14,668 people involved in auto accidents owed their lives to a buckled seatbelt.

State and local police officers in NJ will kick off the country-wide Click it, or Ticket campaign in Barnegat, Lakewood, Toms River, Long Branch, Jackson and other towns. Beginning May 20 through June 2, law enforcers will concentrate on seat belt enforcement as paid ads, local government bodies, schools and auto insurance companies reinforce the idea.

RELATED: Will my insurance premium go up if I get a ticket for not buckling up?

“Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a driver and his or her passengers to protect themselves when traveling,” proclaimed Acting Director of NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Gary Poedubicky.

To date, more than 93% of NJ’s motorists use the seat belt safety feature in the front seats. Those bucking up in the rear are lagging behind considerably. Countering that is NJ’s seat belt law, requiring all passengers in both front and back seats to buckle up and allowing police officers to issue tickets for non-compliance.

Failure to buckle up in the front seat is a primary offence that carries a fine, reason enough for a law enforcer to stop your car and give you a ticket. Failure to buckle up in the back seat is viewed as a secondary offence that carries a fine – something that passengers can be ticketed for if the driver is stopped for another motor vehicle violation.

Seat belts save lives. With the focus on enforcing the seat belt requirement along with broadcasting the safety benefits, a significant rise in seat belt use is anticipated.  

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Summary: NJ joins other states in the nation-wide ‘click it or ticket’ campaign as the auto insurance industry nods in approval.