Be the BUCKLED UP Driver: Seat Belt Enforcement Begins Across the State

Officials remind Marylanders of car seat safety and new law requiring a rear-facing seat through age 2

GLEN BURNIE, MD (May 19, 2022) – On average each year in Maryland, 110 unbuckled drivers and passengers are killed in motor vehicle crashes. If all drivers and passengers buckled up, many lives could be saved every year. The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office and state and local law enforcement encourage every Marylander, drivers and passengers, to buckle up – every seat, every ride, day and night.

Last June, MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office conducted its annual Roadside Observation Seat Belt Survey at 130 select sites in 13 jurisdictions. The survey observed nearly 40,000 vehicles and observed 91.4% of front-seat occupants using a seat belt – an increase from 89.9% in 2020.

“Our seat belt use rate has been around the 90% for years – meaning 1 in 10 Marylanders are still not buckling up every time they get into a vehicle,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer, who also serves as Governor Larry Hogan’s Highway Safety Representative. “We are focused on that remaining 10% of Marylanders, and asking those drivers and passengers to take safety into their own hands and buckle up – no matter the type of vehicle, the distance or speed they are traveling.”

According to a recent Road Safety Attitudes and Behavior survey, two-thirds of respondents said they always wear a seat belt while riding in the back seat of a vehicle. That means one-third of those back-seat passengers do not wear a seat belt on some occasions. In the event of a crash, unbelted occupants increase the risk of injury or death to others in the vehicle by 40%, as they can become projectiles.

Five percent of drivers surveyed admitted to not wearing their seat belt when sitting in the front seat of the car. That percentage increased to 8% when the driver was traveling within five miles or 10 minutes of home. While the 8% figure is a seemingly low percentage, short, routine trips can be some of the most dangerous. Most crash-related deaths happen within 25 miles from home and at speeds of less than 40 mph.

Starting Monday, May 23, through June 5, more than 35 law enforcement agencies across the state are joining together for the 2022 Click It or Ticket campaign, with additional enforcement efforts in every county to help save lives. Throughout the end of May and into June, advertising will run locally and nationally on billboards, television, radio and online to spread awareness of stepped-up enforcement.

MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office will also promote its campaign, Be the BUCKLED UP Driver, which focuses on excuses often used by drivers and passengers for not wearing a seat belt, and why they are not valid compared to the most important reason for wearing a seat belt: because it saves lives.

Agencies participating in Click It or Ticket enforcement include Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Maryland Capitol Police, and Maryland Natural Resources Police, as well as the following agencies:

In Maryland, every driver and passenger must wear a seat belt. Children younger than 8 must be in an appropriate booster or child safety seat unless they are 4 feet, 9 inches tall or taller. If passengers older than 16 are not wearing a seat belt, the driver can receive an $83 ticket for each offense.

A bill recently signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan, SB0176, requires that beginning October 1, 2022, a person transporting a child under age 2 in a motor vehicle is required to secure the child in a rear-facing child safety seat that complies with applicable federal regulations until the child reaches the manufacturer's weight or height limit for the child safety seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends children should ride rear-facing for as long as possible, as it offers the best protection in the event of a crash.

Officials encourage everyone who transports children, including parents, grandparents, guardians and other family members to ensure they are using the right car seat for the age and weight of each child and that it is installed correctly. Agencies across the state, including the Maryland Kids in Safety Seats (KISS) program, offer in-person and virtual checks to teach parents and caregivers how to correctly use car seats. Visit ZeroDeathsMD.gov/CarSeats for more information.

Learn more about MDOT MVA’s commitment to zero deaths on Maryland roadways at ZeroDeathsMD.gov and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at ZeroDeathsMD.

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