COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Law enforcement agencies across Michigan have officially launched the annual “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign, which is scheduled to run from today through May 31, 2026.
The initiative, timed to coincide with the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend, involves increased patrols from the Michigan State Police, county sheriff’s offices, and local police departments.
Under Michigan’s primary seat belt law, officers can pull over and ticket drivers and front-seat passengers solely for being unbuckled, a violation that carries a $65 fine.
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) emphasizes that the high-visibility mobilization is focused on saving lives as summer travel ramps up. Recent data from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute shows that unbelted occupants account for nearly 40% of all traffic fatalities in the state where seat belt use was known.
Beyond adult front-seat occupants, the law requires all passengers under the age of 16 to be buckled in any seating position, and children must remain in a car seat or booster until they reach 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall.
Comments