(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is joining forces with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and other local and national law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates all across the country for the 2011 national Click It or Ticket seatbelt enforcement mobilization . The enforcement effort began today and will continue through June 5.

During the mobilization, officers will be cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seat belts—both day and night.

However, because nighttime passenger vehicle occupants are among the least likely to buckle up and most likely to die in crashes when unrestrained, nighttime enforcement has become a priority of the Click It or Ticket mobilization. Of those who have died in nighttime crashes in 2009, 62 percent were not wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.

In 2009, 11,593 passenger vehicle occupants died in motor vehicle crashes nationwide between the nighttime hours of 6 pm and 5:59 am, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Many more nighttime traffic deaths can be prevented if more motorists simply start wearing their seatbelts,” remarked Terry Bellamy, DDOT’s Acting Director. “That’s why DDOT strongly supports nighttime enforcement of seatbelt laws during the Click It or Ticket campaign. Please be safe and buckle up.”

The District of Columbia has made major strides in getting drivers to buckle up and is currently among the national leaders in compliance. From 1997 to 2010, the percentage of belted drivers rose from 58 percent to 92 percent; the national average in 2010 was 85 percent. In light of the overall high level of compliance, the District and other jurisdictions are turning their focus on night-time hours, when seat belt efforts can make the most difference in saving lives and preventing injuries.

Seat belt use saves thousands of lives each year across America. In 2009 alone, seat belts saved 12,713 lives nationwide.

Remember this May 23 to June 5: Click It or Ticket. Buckle up and encourage your loved ones to do the same. You’ll save the cost of a ticket and may even save a life.

About Click It or Ticket
Every year during the Memorial Day holiday period, law enforcement agencies join forces day and night, from coast-to-coast, in an enforcement blitz encouraging citizens to buckle up. The mobilization is supported by national and local paid advertising and earned media campaigns aimed at raising awareness throughout the nation. To learn more, please visit www.DCRoadRules.com .