PIXABAY
"Click It or Ticket" seems to be working, according to state officials.
Nearly 95 percent of front-seat occupants were wearing seat belts during the annual observational survey, Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety announced.
The increase reflects one of the strongest post-campaign compliance gains in recent years, and is above the 91. 2 percent nationwide.
“Seat belts save lives, and we are committed to ensuring that this message gets through to New Jersey drivers,” Platkin said. “Nearly 95 percent of New Jersey drivers and front-seat passengers are buckling up — and that’s a marked increase over the previous year. These gains reflect the dedication of our law enforcement officers, our public education campaigns, and the strong partnership among agencies committed to preventing traffic fatalities.”
The annual observational survey – submitted by the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety in accordance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Uniform Criteria -- shows broad improvements among drivers, front-seat passengers, and multiple categories of vehicles.
“Improving seatbelt usage is an absolute priority, even with our high compliance rate,” said Michael J. Rizol Jr., director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “Each year, hundreds of drivers and passengers are killed in traffic crashes, and more than 40 percent of them are not wearing their seatbelts. So many lives are lost in that group of people who disregard our safety message. Even minor improvements save lives.”
The post-campaign survey recorded an overall front-seat occupant usage rate of 94.97 percent, compared to 90.51 percent in 2024.
Driver usage rose to 95.11 percent from 90.86 percent the previous year, and front-seat passenger usage increased to 94.22 percent from 89.10 percent.
Sport utility vehicles again demonstrated the highest compliance, with a usage rate of 96.56 percent.
“Weighted” data – data that applies statistical adjustments, or “weights,” to ensure the results are balanced and representative – collected through the survey similarly demonstrated improvement across all categories.
The weighted usage rate for front-seat occupants was 94.33 percent, representing a 3.93 percent increase over 2024. Drivers recorded a weighted usage rate of 94.41 percent, up 4.02 percent from the prior year, while front-seat passengers recorded a rate of 93.71 percent, an increase of 3.25 percentage points.
The county-level data also revealed significant progress. Union, Burlington, and Passaic counties posted the largest increases in front-seat passenger usage.
Usage rates varied by road type as well; the highest rates for front-seat occupants and drivers were observed on primary roads, while front-seat passengers demonstrated the highest usage on secondary roads. Local roads saw the lowest overall rates, though all remained above 93%.
The annual seat belt usage survey was conducted following the May 12 through June 1, “Click It or Ticket” campaign.
All data were collected in accordance with NHTSA’s guidelines under 23 CFR Part 1340, which establishes uniform criteria for state observational surveys. New Jersey’s federally approved survey design provides a representative sampling of usage across road types and counties and ensures that roadway and site selections are refreshed at least every five years, as required by federal regulation.
