As Thanksgiving travel picks up, the White Hall Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to urge drivers and passengers to buckle up. The department announced the start of its “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign, which will run from November 22–30, 2025, with officers increasing patrols to ensure seat belt laws are followed.
According to police, anyone spotted without a seat belt will be pulled over and issued a citation.
The campaign comes as new national data highlights the deadly consequences of not buckling up. During the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday period, 309 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes across the U.S., and 44% of them were not wearing a seat belt. The risk was even higher at night, when 47% of crash victims were unrestrained. Daytime fatalities showed similar trends, with 38% of those killed not buckled.
“These deaths represent tragedies that could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt,” officials said.
White Hall Police Chief Mickey Buffkin stressed the importance of seat belt safety, noting that nearly half of all people killed in vehicle crashes in 2023 were unrestrained.
“Buckle your seat belt to stay safe and to stay legal,” Buffkin said. “If our officers spot you riding without a seat belt, we will pull you over and issue a ticket. That seat belt may mean the difference between life and death.”
The department encourages all drivers to make sure every passenger is buckled before leaving a parking spot and to stay vigilant during the busy holiday weekend.
