The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Arkansas Highway Safety Office (AHSO) and Arkansas law enforcement are urging drivers to buckle up ahead of the Click It or Ticket seat belt safety campaign. The national high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs May 18-31, 2026.
“Seat belt use should be routine for drivers and passengers alike,” said Arkansas Public Safety Secretary Colonel Mike Hagar. “During the Click It or Ticket campaign, Arkansas State Police will be working with fellow law enforcement agencies across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Not buckling up could mean a ticket, or worse, risking a life. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.”
In 2024, there were 9,758 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes nationwide, and of those, 194 were in Arkansas. NHTSA data also shows a higher number of unrestrained occupant fatalities happen at night (56% between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.). That’s why one of the focuses of the Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
The AHSO wants to remind motorists to Buckle Up the Right Way.
- Place the shoulder belt across the middle of the chest and away from the neck.
• Lay the lap belt across the hips and not the stomach.
• NEVER place the seat belt behind the back or under arms.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket seat belt high-visibility enforcement campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drug-impaired-driving or call the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at (501) 618-8136.
