RICHMOND, VA (WVNS) — Virginia State Police announced they are participating in an annual campaign to help focus on saving lives during peak holiday travel.

Local law enforcements and the Virginia State Police have partnered with the The Department of Motor Vehicles and AAA Mid-Atlantic to focus on enforcing seat belt usage during the annual Click It or Ticket campaign, that started May 22, 2023 and will run until June 4. The campaign takes place during one of the busiest commuting holidays, Memorial Day.

AAA is predicting more than 42 million people will be traveling nationwide for the long Memorial Day weekend, just one percent shy of the holiday travel numbers from the pre-pandemic days of 2019. Last year, approximately one of every two crash fatalities in Virginia involved occupants who did not wear a seat belt, according to the Bluefield Virginia Police Department. Local law enforcements plan to support the DMV’s seat belt awareness campaign by performing high-visibility enforcement along their busy roads and highways.

“These numbers mean thousands of Virginians still choose not to make the simple, safe choice of buckling up as their best defense against a reckless, impaired or distracted driver. By participating in Click It or Ticket, we are raising awareness and educating Virginians on the importance of always wearing a seat belt, every time.”

DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative

In the Commonwealth, 1.16 million Virginians will be traveling, with more than one million of them predicted to be hitting the roads. Stay safe and buckle up before your Memorial Day trip.