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It may not sound like a lot, but seat belt use in the Mountain State dropped from its high in 2024 of 91.9% to 91.6% for 2025.
To combat that decrease, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2026 national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement campaign.
The national mobilization runs from May 18 through May 31 while West Virginia’s enforcement will run May 11 though May 25.
“Seat belt use should be an automatic habit, not a choice,” Jack McNeely, director of the GHSP, said. “It is the simplest, most effective way to prevent injury or death in a crash. We see the tragic results of unbelted crashes every day—tragedies that were entirely preventable.”
A primary focus of this year’s campaign is nighttime enforcement. NHTSA data consistently shows that a higher number of unrestrained fatalities occur under the cover of darkness.
Furthermore, there is a significant gender gap in seat belt compliance: 53% of males killed in crashes were unbelted, compared to 40% of females.
Law enforcement agencies across the state will take a “no-excuses” approach during the mobilization, issuing citations day and night.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization, please visit NHTSA.gov/Clickit.