Gloucester Township Police Department Participates in 2026 Click It or Ticket Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign
The Gloucester Township Police Department will participate in the 2026 Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign. The initiative runs from May 18, 2026 through May 31, 2026 and is coordinated by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The annual campaign is designed to promote seat belt use through high-visibility enforcement and public education efforts aimed at reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
Click It or Ticket is a national high-visibility enforcement campaign focused on the consequences of failing to wear a seat belt while encouraging all motorists and passengers to buckle up every trip, every time. The campaign also reinforces public awareness through increased high-visibility traffic enforcement during the mobilization period and highlights the importance of seat belt compliance as a critical traffic safety measure.
Seat belts remain the single most effective safety device available to protect occupants in motor vehicle crashes. According to NHTSA, approximately 15,000 lives are saved each year in the United States because vehicle occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of a crash. Failing to wear a seat belt not only places drivers and passengers at serious risk, but also increases the likelihood of injury to other occupants within the vehicle.
In 2024, New Jersey experienced more than 4,000 crashes involving one or more unrestrained occupants, resulting in 135 fatalities. Fatal crashes involving unrestrained drivers and passengers increased 15 percent from 2023 to 2024. Between 2020 and 2024, 1,558 motor vehicle occupants, excluding motorcyclists, were killed on New Jersey roadways, and 681 of those individuals were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
According to the 2025 Seat Belt Usage Study conducted by the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the statewide front-seat seat belt usage rate was 94.33 percent. While compliance remains high, law enforcement officials stress that every unrestrained occupant represents a preventable risk.
Gloucester Township Police Captain Anthony Massi stated, “Wearing a seat belt remains one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself during a crash. Through this campaign, our officers will continue conducting enforcement efforts while also educating motorists about the importance of seat belt use and safe driving habits. Our goal is to increase awareness, encourage compliance with New Jersey’s seat belt laws, and help keep everyone on our roadways safe.”
Throughout the campaign, officers will conduct targeted enforcement efforts, including roving and high-visibility patrols, focused on seat belt compliance among drivers and passengers. Officers will also enforce New Jersey’s child passenger safety laws and other traffic safety violations as appropriate. These enforcement activities are supported through grant funding provided by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
The Gloucester Township Police Department reminds motorists that seat belts save lives and are required by New Jersey law for all drivers and passengers. Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to ensure children are secured in properly installed child safety seats or booster seats appropriate for their age, height, and weight.
The message is simple: Click It or Ticket.
For more information on seat belt safety and the Click It or Ticket campaign, visit NHTSA’s website: https://www.nhtsa.gov/
Date and Time of Media Release: 05/14/2026 12:00 PM
Media Release By: Capt. Anthony Massi #222
Approved by: Deputy Chief John Stollsteimer #150
https://gtpolice.com/news/article/2925
