Click it or Ticket Seat Belt Safety Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2026

Seat Belts Saves Lives

Buckle Up May 18 – May 31, and Every Day

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Sauk County Highway Safety Task Force which includes the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, Baraboo Police Department, Lake Delton Police Department, Reedsburg Police Department, and Sauk Prairie Police Department are reminding drivers to buckle up ahead of the Click It or Ticket seat belt safety campaign. The national high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort runs May 18-31, 2026, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday.

“We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said Captain Matt Burch of the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office. “During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Not buckling up could mean a ticket, or worse, someone’s life.”

In 2024, the national seat belt use rate was 91.2%, yet 9,758 unbuckled vehicle occupants were killed in traffic crashes. That number makes one thing clear – seat belts save lives, and that’s why it’s important to continue to push for 100% seat belt use. In Sauk County alone, 2025 crash data showed lack of seat belt use resulted in 1 fatality and 34 injuries. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement.

One of the focuses of the Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign is nighttime enforcement. NHTSA data shows a higher number of unrestrained occupant fatalities happen at night (56% between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.). Of the males killed in crashes in 2023, more than half (53%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 41% were not buckled up.

Buckle Up the Right Way

• Place the shoulder belt across the middle of the chest and away from the neck.
• Lay the lap belt across the hips and not the stomach.
• NEVER place the seat belt behind the back or under arms.

“We are asking friends and family to remind each other to always buckle up and to consider changing their habits if they don’t,” said Captain Burch. “Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.”

For more information on the Click It or Ticket seat belt high-visibility enforcement campaign, please visit NHTSA.gov/ClickIt.