As you grab your Coppertone and sunglasses, don’t forget this: the summer months are the most deadly on the highways.  It’s true, with more people on the roadways including students, the risk for being involved in a serious motor vehicle crash rises along with the mercury.

In an effort to encourage Floridians to keep safety first, Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies are joining the statewide campaign to aggressively ticket those who don’t buckle up… that’s right, across the region the message is Click It or Ticket. 

For example, one hundred twenty people died in traffic crashes in Pinellas County in 2006.  Forty-three of them died as a result of not wearing their safety belts.  Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, however, studies show that a significant number of Floridians still don’t regularly wear their safety belts. 

Don’t be another statistic… buckle up every time you get behind the wheel.  And experts agree the best way to spread this message is through example.  Set a policy not to drive until everyone in your vehicle is wearing their seatbelt.  And parents, this is the best way to ensure your teens will do the same when they get their license. 

For more information on the 2008 Click It or Ticket Campaign, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.ce4a601cdfe97fc239d17110cba046a0/.