BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. – The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers of the importance of seatbelts as the Memorial Day holiday approaches.

The county will join the nation in the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign running from May 17 to June 6.

The national campaign runs alongside the start of the busy summer travel season.

The campaign’s goal is to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries by encouraging the use of seatbelts while driving.

“During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across the state to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers to buckle up,” said Sheriff L. Paul Bailey. “We cannot overstate the importance of wearing a seat belt. It’s the law, but more than that, buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash.

In 2019, 217 people killed in Michigan traffic crashes weren’t wearing a seatbelt, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Of those ages 18 to 34 killed in passenger vehicles, 57% of them weren’t wearing a seatbelt.

For more information on the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, click here.