“Click or ticket” is a campaign by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to increase seat belt use. It refers to the sound of buckling up and reminds people of the penalties for not wearing a seat belt. The campaign includes annual mobilization periods, ads, and fines. Critics argue it limits personal freedom, but supporters say it’s a public safety issue. The controversy also surrounds whether not wearing a seat belt is a primary or secondary offense, with most states listing it as a primary offense.
“Click or ticket” refers to wearing your seat belt to avoid a traffic citation. The phrase is the name of a campaign by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) aimed at increasing the use of seat belts among Americans. While controversial in some circles, the program is generally supported in the United States. The phrase could also be used informally outside the United States for the same purposes.
The “click” in “Click it or Ticket” is a reference to the sound made by buckling up a seat belt in a car. Although the installation of seat belts in vehicles in the United States was made mandatory in 1966, the percentage of people wearing seat belts remained very low until the early 1980s. Since 1984, many states have passed legislation requiring the occupants of a moving vehicle to wear their seat belts, and “click it or ticket” has become a commonly used slogan to remind people of the penalties for failing to comply. new laws. The term is similar and is said to have been inspired by a British seat belt initiative known as “Clunk Click Every Trip”.
“Click or ticket” has since been adopted by NHTSA to describe its national seat belt enforcement campaign. Each May, NHTSA holds a mobilization/compression period in which many law enforcement and advocacy groups work to raise awareness of the benefits of wearing seat belts and the price of getting caught without them. In addition to the annual blitz, the campaign includes various national and state seatbelt ads. NHTSA and many other organizations produce television commercials to raise awareness, and billboards and street signs often list fines for not wearing a seat belt.
Both “Click it or Ticket” and the seat belt legislation it promotes have been criticized as limiting personal freedom. Some argue that imposing the use of seat belts violates citizens’ civil rights and therefore should not be allowed. Proponents of “Click it or Ticket” say the measures are a public safety issue, because seat belts have been shown to reduce the rate of injury or death in road crashes. The other major controversy surrounding the campaign is whether not wearing a seat belt is a primary offense, i.e. one for which police officers are allowed to flag down a car, or a secondary offense which can only be cited after a other crime. Laws vary by state, but as of 2011, most areas in the United States have it listed as a primary offense.
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