The “Click It or Ticket” campaign, encouraging motorists to buckle up, is not over just yet, even after the Memorial Day holiday weekend. This iteration of the public awareness and safety campaign began on May 20 and will run through this coming weekend, ending on Sunday, June 2.
Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC) says 15% of drivers, mainly in rural areas, do not wear seatbelts. “Forty-five percent of the people who die in fatal crashes in Louisiana are not buckled up. That tells us that 15% of people that aren’t buckling up are at a much greater risk of dying in a car crash.”

In Louisiana, the driver and all passengers are required to wear seat restraints. The fine for not being properly restrained is $50. Fischer says surveys show if you drive a truck and live in rural Louisiana, you’re least likely to wear your seatbelt. In 2023, observational surveys revealed that 85.6% of all Louisiana drivers and passengers. The national use rate stood at 91.9% in 2023.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017 alone. The agency reports that in 2022, 11,302 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts. Among the young adults (18-34) killed, 60% were unbuckled, one of the highest percentages for all age groups.
The campaign's main goal is to remind drivers and passengers that seat belt laws are strictly enforced, and failure to comply can result in fines and penalties. Law enforcement agencies play a crucial role in this campaign by conducting seat belt enforcement blitzes and increasing visibility on the roads.