Pine Bluff, Arkansas – The Pine Bluff Police Department is urging drivers and passengers to buckle up as part of a national seat belt enforcement effort now underway. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), local officers are participating in the nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs through June 1, 2025.
The high-visibility campaign is aimed at improving seat belt use ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year—Memorial Day. It also focuses on reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities caused by failure to wear seat belts.
“Seat belt use should be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said Lieutenant DeShawn Bennett, Public Information Officer for the Pine Bluff Police Department. “It’s not just a safe thing to do — it’s the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing a driver can do to limit injury or save a life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. So often, it could have been prevented.”
National Statistics Underscore the Need for Action
According to NHTSA, the national seat belt use rate in 2023 stood at 91.9%. While this is a promising figure, officials stress that the remaining 8.1% still represents thousands of unbuckled lives at risk each day on the road.
Law enforcement across the country, including officers in Pine Bluff, will adopt a no-excuses approach during the campaign, issuing citations both during the day and at night. Nighttime enforcement is particularly crucial, as crash data shows a significantly higher rate of unrestrained vehicle fatalities during evening hours.
NHTSA reports that in 2023, more than half—53%—of male passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. For females, 41% were unrestrained when the fatal collisions occurred.
Making Safety a Habit, Not a Choice
“If the enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” added Lieutenant Bennett. “We are asking friends and family to remind each other to buckle up when they drive, and to consider changing their habits if they don’t. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.”
The campaign serves as both an enforcement push and an educational opportunity. Officers hope that consistent reminders, coupled with increased citations, will help change risky behavior and save lives on the road.
Drivers and passengers are reminded that in Arkansas, seat belt use is mandatory. Citations can be issued to both drivers and front-seat passengers found not wearing their seat belts. With more drivers expected to travel long distances this holiday weekend, the emphasis on safety couldn’t be more urgent.
The Pine Bluff Police Department urges all motorists to do their part by clicking their seat belts every time they get in a vehicle—no matter how short the trip.
