Orland Park Police Beef Up Patrols With 'Click It Or Ticket'

ORLAND PARK, IL — Now through through Memorial Day weekend, officers with the Orland Park Police Department will step up enforcement to remind drivers to “Click It or Ticket.”

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, a popular time for traveling to visit family and friends. Whether traveling down the block or across the country, police are reminding drivers to make sure they buckle up every time.

“We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers,” Orland Park Police Chief Joe Mitchell said in a news release. “'Click It or Ticket' isn’t about citations – it’s about saving lives. Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45%. Seat belts save lives every day, but they’re only effective if they’re used.”

While Illinois’ 2020 seat belt compliance rate was 94.6 percent, unbelted occupants still account for over half of those killed in traffic crashes, the department reported. According to police, the “Click It or Ticket” campaign aims to change the behavior of the millions of people who don’t buckle up. Orland Park officers stressed that thousands of lives could be saved each year if every vehicle occupant was properly restrained when traveling.

"Always buckle up when driving and use car seats for little ones," Mitchell added. "Every vehicle occupant — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to buckle up, every trip, every time."

The “Click It or Ticket” campaign is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation with federal highway safety funds.