Sacramento police step up seat belt enforcement in ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign

The Sacramento Police Department launched a “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign Monday to encourage drivers and passengers to buckle up through the end of the month.

The campaign runs through May 31 and coincides with a national enforcement effort led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

During the two-week campaign, Sacramento police will deploy additional officers to look for drivers and passengers who are not wearing seat belts, as well as children who are not properly secured in age-appropriate safety seats.

“Our priority is protecting the people in our community,” Sacramento Police Department Sgt. Anna Mahoney said in a statement. “We want every trip — short or long — to end safely, so please buckle up, every time.”

According to NHTSA, 780 unrestrained motorists were killed in crashes in 2024. The agency also reported that 24 unrestrained children were killed in crashes in 2022, a 4.3% increase from the previous year.

The enforcement campaign continues through the Memorial Day weekend travel period and is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The Office of Traffic Safety said California’s seat belt use rate increased 3.5 percentage points between 2005, when the campaign began, and 2018.

DUI checkpoint leads to two arrests

Sacramento police also reported Monday results from a DUI checkpoint held Friday on Del Paso Road.

Officers screened more than 650 vehicles, conducted 64 driver’s license checks, issued 18 citations to suspended or unlicensed drivers and made two DUI arrests, according to the department.

Police reminded drivers to plan ahead by using a ride-share service, calling a friend or staying where they are if they have been drinking.

The department thanked volunteers, chaplains, cadets, the Sacramento County Crime Lab, Sacramento County Probation and the Los Rios Police Department for assisting with the checkpoint.