If you notice some more police when you are traveling on the Kansas Turnpike or cruising down Wanamaker, there is a good reason for it.

Starting on May 20th, there will be a “Click It or Ticket” kickoff event. Here is the full press release, courtesy of NHTSA.ORG:

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Region 7 state highway safety offices are joining law enforcement nationwide for a Border to Border (B2B) Click it or Ticket kickoff event starting Monday, May 20. The campaign seeks to increase seat belt use by coordinating highly visible seat belt law enforcement in the region’s states of Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

This year’s campaign, running May 20 – June 2, will include nighttime enforcement. According to NHTSA data, in 2017, more than 10,000 people lost their lives in crashes where they were not wearing a seat belt, with over half killed at night. Law enforcement will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.

 “The Border to Border component of the Click It or Ticket campaign is important because it raises awareness about seat belt safety during the time when seat belts are least used – at night,” said Susan DeCourcy, NHTSA Region 7 Administrator, “With an increased number of cars flooding the streets due to the Memorial Day holiday, it’s imperative we get the word out about the importance of seat belt safety.”

The campaign is targeted to all drivers, but especially the hard-to-reach males ages 18-34 who research shows are far less likely to wear seat belts. Of the males killed in crashes in 2017, more than half (51%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 39 percent were not buckled up.

Click It or Ticket is a multi-pronged campaign that combines on street enforcement with a national media buy campaign that airs across TV, radio, internet, and social media to convey the message that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws. Thousands of Americans are alive today thanks to strong state laws, the Click it or Ticket enforcement and paid media effort, and the year-round “Buckle Up America” campaigns.

NHTSA has been working with the States on Click It or Ticket since 2003. Since that time, national seat belt use has increased from 79 percent to 89.6 percent.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.