STATEWIDE (WOWO) – The Indiana State Police officially have the “Click It or Ticket” campaign underway through Memorial Day weekend.

The Indiana State Police join law enforcement agencies across the country to make sure all drivers and passengers are properly restrained.  The national average of people not buckling up is 10.4 percent with Hoosiers falling below the national average at 6.6 percent.

New data out of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute shows that unrestrained motorists still make up 53 percent of traffic deaths.  An unrestrained motorist is 10 times more likely to die in a car or SUV, 14 times if in a pickup truck and 15 times if in a van.

Drivers who are least likely to wear their seat-belts are males under the age of 25.  Injury rates among unrestrained motorists are higher in rural counties, when speeding, under the influence and from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. on weekend nights.  Find information on some 2018 seat-belt statistics, click here.

The Indiana State Police also want to make you aware that unrestrained passengers can become projectiles that could injure or kill others in the vehicle.  Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children aged one to thirteen.

Studies also show that parents who do not use their seat-belts are more likely to have children who are not properly restrained.  In this case, not only will the driver get a ticket for not having their seat-belt on, but the driver will get one per child that is not properly buckled.

Indiana law requires drivers and all passengers to wear their seat-belts.  Children under eight years old must be properly restrained in a child car-seat or a booster-seat.

Here are some tips for proper seat-belt use:

• Secure the lap belt across the hips and pelvis, below the stomach
• the shoulder belt should go across your chest and rib cage, away from your neck
• Do not ever put the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm

For information on choosing the safest seat for your child’s height and weight, click here.  To find a certified car-seat safety technician to assist in proper car-seat installation, click here.