The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office will be joining with statewide law enforcement May 20 - June 2 for an aggressive "Click It or Ticket" mobilization to crack down on Missouri's seat belt violations.

Six out of 10 people killed in 2018 Missouri traffic crashes were unbuckled.  And even with all the advancements in automobile safety and education on the importance of seat belt use, Missouri's seat belt use has shown modest improvement in the last six years and is still consistently below the national average.

Missouri has an 87 percent seat belt use, which is well below the national average of 90 percent.  Teens and pick-up truck drivers are among those least likely to buckle up at 73 and 71 percent.

"Every day someone dies in a crash in Missouri because they weren't buckled up," said Sheriff Brad DeLay.  "We will be pulling out all the stops to ensure motorists are buckling up."

Seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.

Buckle Up and Arrive Alive.  For more information on Missouri seat belt usage, visit www.saveMOlives.com.