NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The State Highway Patrol has begun a campaign urging Ohio motorists to wear their safety belts.
The patrol says troopers will be encouraging drivers to "buckle up" to save lives.
A statement released by the patrol this week says Ohio's observed safety belt usage rate was 84.9% in 2018, while the national average rate was 89.6%.
The patrol also says 1,326 people in Ohio who were not wearing an available seat belt while in motor vehicles were killed in crashes from 2016 through 2018. A total of 121,019 people in Ohio in 2018 were convicted of driving or riding in a passenger vehicle without wearing a seat belt.
The patrol says its Click it or Ticket campaign began Monday and will continue until June 2.
