Beginning on May 4, the Wilmington Police Department will have extra patrols on the road targeting vehicle occupants not wearing their seatbelts. The Department is joining the Massachusetts State Police and municipal police departments across the Commonwealth in the annual “Click It Or Ticket” campaign. This initiative is funded by a federal highway safety grant, through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS).

According to statistics from Executive Office of Public Safety, Massachusetts has one of the lowest seatbelt usage rates in the nation. Since being implemented, “Click It Or Ticket” initiatives have helped increase seat belt usage in Massachusetts from 51% in 2002 to 78% in 2016. We still have a long way to go though as the national usage rate average is 90%.

The Wilmington Police Department wants to remind everyone that Massachusetts law requires all occupants to be properly restrained by safety belts when riding in a private passenger motor vehicle. So please, when you get in your car, buckle up. You could be saving your own life!

Wilmington Police Department to Participate in Click It Or Ticket Campaign