Buckle Up, North Carolina: Seat belt enforcement ramps up for Thanksgiving

RALEIGH — With millions expected to travel on North Carolina roads this Thanksgiving holiday, state officials are launching a statewide “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign.
 
From Nov. 24-30, law enforcement agencies statewide will increase patrols as part of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s annual Thanksgiving safety initiative. The campaign aims to reduce preventable injuries and deaths during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

“Seat belts save lives and wearing one is the easiest step anyone can take to stay safe on the road,” said GHSP Director Mark Ezzell. “We want everyone to arrive safely to their destination. Those who do not comply can expect to be stopped.”

 
Lack of seatbelt use is a primary contributor to traffic fatalities. In each of the last five years, at least 40% of the vehicle fatalities were unbuckled, according to the North Carolina 2024 Traffic Crash Facts report. Last year, 1,181 people died, and 40% (471) of those people killed were not wearing a seat belt.
 
During Thanksgiving week in 2024, a total of 23 people were killed and 65% of those (15) were not wearing a seat belt.
 
“North Carolina’s roads belong to all of us, and when you buckle up, you are protecting yourself and others,” said Ezzell. “Each passenger should make it their highest priority for every trip, every time.”