Caddo Sheriff’s deputies will be buckling down on those not buckled up during the national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign today through June 1.

Deputies are stepping up enforcement of seatbelt laws with an overtime traffic enforcement grant from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Citizens can expect extra patrols and seatbelt checkpoints, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator.

High-visibility enforcement is used to remind motorists to buckle up every time, every trip, Prator said. “Wearing a seatbelt is a serious issue; you can’t predict when you will need it. That’s why our deputies will be out there day and night, on the rural roads and in the more populated areas, enforcing seatbelt laws and keeping citizens safe.”   

According to new data released from the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatalities are up nationwide for the first time in five years. In 2012, 10,335 people who were killed in motor vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belts. NHTSA data also details how more traffic vehicle deaths occur at night. In 2012, 61 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed during the nighttime hours of 6:00 p.m. – 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts.  

The Click It or Ticket enforcement effort comes just as motorists take to the roads to celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend. “Memorial Day weekend kicks off summer vacation season, and we want to ensure that everyone arrives at their destination safely,” Prator said. “If you are not wearing your seat belt, you will be ticketed.”

Approximately 10,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide will participate in the "Click It or Ticket" mobilization from May 19 through June 1.