Click It or Ticket Kickoff Event

As Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us as we kick off this year’s Click It or Ticket national seat belt safety campaign. I’m Peter Simshauser, NHTSA’s chief counsel.

This high-visibility enforcement effort is all about reminding everyone about the importance of seat belt use and the potentially deadly consequences of not buckling up.

To put it simply: Seat belts save lives. NHTSA’s expert analysts estimate that seat belts have saved almost 500,000 lives – half a million – over the past 50 years. Yet every year some 10,000 of the 40,000 people killed in U.S. vehicle crashes are unbelted vehicle passengers.

At DOT and NHTSA, we are committed to using our platform to address this issue and to lower this number.

That’s why once again we’re partnering with law enforcement officials nationwide to launch this year’s Click It or Ticket campaign and help spread the word about the importance of buckling up.

As you see, we have three great speakers today. We also invite you to stay and join us at the end of today’s event for a seat belt convincer system demonstration, which will further demonstrate the importance of always wearing a seat belt — even in a low-impact collision.

First, we are honored to be joined by Deputy Secretary of Transportation Steven Bradbury. He works closely with Secretary Sean Duffy to implement the Administration’s priorities, and in particular oversees the Department’s operating administrations and spearheads initiatives to ensure a safe, efficient and modern transportation system that strengthens our economic productivity and global competitiveness.

He is highly qualified for this role, having previously served during the first Trump administration as the Department’s General Counsel, and as Acting Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary of Transportation.

Deputy Secretary Bradbury is an amazing colleague, and I am pleased to welcome him to our Click It or Ticket kickoff event today.

Deputy Secretary, welcome. 

{Deputy Secretary’s remarks}

Deputy Secretary, thank you for those remarks and for joining us today in support of NHTSA’s safety mission.  

Like you, I appreciate Secretary Duffy’s strong leadership toward a safer transportation future. I know from many discussions with him that he is completely committed to significantly reducing the number of roadway fatalities, and especially to doing so in close partnership with our law enforcement colleagues and the many safety organizations around the country.

We’re proud to work alongside him and you on these critical efforts to protect everyone on our nation’s roads and to save lives.

Today’s vehicles are amazing. They are designed and engineered to protect occupants in the event of a collision. The frames are stronger and more protective than ever. The areas likely to be involved in a collision – especially the front end and engine compartment – are built to absorb the energy of a collision and further protect occupants. And air bag technology adds another protective layer for occupants. But all of these technologies work best, and are designed for, occupants who are wearing seat belts.

That’s where this year’s Click It or Ticket campaign comes in. It runs through June 1. Through this critical initiative, we’re urging riders to always buckle up — every trip, every time. We want to find ways to focus on and reach out to the small proportion – less than 10% – of drivers and passengers who do not routinely wear a seat belt. This small fraction accounts for almost 50% of the vehicle occupants killed each year in collisions. In 2023, some 10,000 lives were lost that potentially could have been saved had seat belts been used.

Our national media campaign features TV, radio and digital ads. Our primary focus is male drivers ages 18 to 34 who, according to our data, have been consistently less likely to wear a seat belt. Indeed, among all young adults killed in crashes in that age group, 60% were unbelted — one of the highest percentages for all age groups.

We welcome ideas and input on how best to reach and appeal to this cohort. Ultimately, one of the very best ways is the dedicated and targeted efforts of our law enforcement partners. We know how hard they work and how difficult their jobs are, and we are grateful beyond words for their efforts and focus on this vital issue.  

As we head into the Memorial Day holiday, we want everyone to have a great kickoff to the summer season. We encourage you to pause and honor all of our service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country. And we encourage everyone traveling in cars to take the few seconds that truly can mean the difference between life and death – please buckle up.  

Let me introduce our next speaker.

Starting yesterday through June 1, our law enforcement partners will be out on the roads spreading the word about seat belt safety. These high-visibility enforcement efforts help keep our communities safe and are a proven method for getting people to buckle up.

Chief Pamela Smith is D.C.’s police chief. She has more than 27 years of law enforcement experience. She is well known for her law enforcement commitment, advocacy and leadership, and has leaned on her passion of forging relationships within her agency and across the community.

We are honored that she has joined us today.

Chief Smith, welcome. 

{Chief Smith’s remarks}

Chief Smith, we appreciate your support, partnership and dedication to protecting those in our community. NHTSA is proud to work alongside law enforcement leaders like you and to spread the word about the importance of wearing a seat belt. We’re grateful for your decades of service, and the work you do each day to keep the public safe. Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect us, and I’d like to remind everyone to please move over when you see them along the side of a road. It’s the law in all 50 states.

As I mentioned earlier, our primary focus with this campaign is male drivers ages 18 to 34. Men not only make up the majority of those killed in traffic crashes, they’re also more likely than women to not be buckled up.

Our final speaker, unfortunately, knows this all too well.

Christy King is the founder and executive director of the Christopher King Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of seat belt safety. Christy has been a fierce advocate for promoting safe driving practices after the tragic loss of her son.

Christy, I welcome you to share your story on behalf of everyone who has experienced a similar tragedy.

{Christy King’s remarks}

Christy, I am so sorry for your loss, and our hearts go out to you and your family. Please know you’re making a difference for so many people by sharing your story and continuing your advocacy. Thank you for all you do and for being here with us today.

That brings us to the end of today’s event. Thank you again to our speakers for their time and support for this very important safety campaign.

I’ll leave you with this: As you prepare to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday, we want to make sure you do so safely and responsibly. Please remind your loved ones to always buckle up — it could save a life.

With that, I’d like to invite you to join Deputy Secretary Bradbury and me for a seat belt convincer demonstration. Members of the media, you’re welcome to film these demonstrations, and media who pre-signed a waiver are also welcome to participate in a demonstration.

For media watching virtually, please email NHTSAmedia@dot.gov if you have any questions.

Thank you so much for joining us. Please stay safe.