CAYUGA, N.Y. (WENY)-- Click it or Ticket!  The national campaign begins Monday, May 23rd.  State police and local agencies across New York state including the Cayuga Heights police department will be taking part in Buckle Up New York, Click it, or Ticket Mobilization. 

They are pushing efforts to increase seat belt and child safety seat use in order to help reduce injuries and fatalities in the event of a car accident.  

Now, this is a statewide effort that goes until June 5th.  The initiative is coordinated by State Police, local agencies, sheriff's offices, and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. 

In the Empire State, police can ticket drivers for not wearing a seatbelt, even if they’re not committing any other traffic violations.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seatbelts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017 nationally; on the other hand, 2,549 American
died in crashes because they were not wearing their seatbelts. In New York State, the NHTSA estimates seatbelts saved 396 lives in 2017, and 11 children under five years old were saved by being properly restrained in car seats.