Seat Belt Use Isn’t Just the Law, It’s Life or Death

From Police Department

The Franklin Lakes Police Department and NHTSA Remind Drivers to Click It or Ticket.

This Thanksgiving holiday, The Franklin Lakes Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind drivers — and everyone in the car — to buckle up. The Franklin Lakes Police Department’s high-visibility Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign, which runs from November 22-30, 2025, focuses on reducing the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle passengers fail to buckle up. If law enforcement spot someone unbelted, they will pull the driver over and issue a ticket.

During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2023 (6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22, to 5:59 a.m. on Monday, November 27), there were 309 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation, and 44% (135) were unrestrained. Not wearing a seat belt proved to be deadly at any time of the day during the holiday weekend: 47% of those killed in nighttime crashes were unbuckled, and 38% of those killed in daytime crashes also were unbuckled. These deaths represent needless tragedies for families across America and may have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt. 

Riding without a seat belt is illegal and dangerous. In 2023, nearly 50% of all people killed in a vehicle crash were not buckled. Drivers should ensure that they and all passengers are buckled before the vehicle ever leaves its parking spot. Buckling the seat belt is the single most effective thing anyone can do to stay safe in the event of a crash.  

“Buckle your seat belt to stay safe and to stay legal,” said Sergeant Denny Knubel. “If our law enforcement officers spot you riding without a seat belt, we will pull you over and issue a ticket. The bottom line is this: That seat belt may mean the difference between life and death. This Thanksgiving, and every day of the year, remember: Click It or Ticket.”

In Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, the law requires Applies to all passengers (including the rear seat), who are at least 8 years of age or at least 57 inches tall, and each driver and front seat passenger of a passenger automobile, operated on a street or highway. All of these occupants are required to wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt system. The law makes the driver responsible for proper seat belt use by all occupants who are under the age of 18, and violations are punishable by fine of $46 for the 1st offense.