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Law enforcement to crack down on seat belt violators this Memorial Day weekend

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The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says that law enforcement officers from across the state will be making sure drivers and passengers are buckled up this Memorial Day weekend as part of their "Click It or Ticket" program. 

The Safety Commission says the program is an effort to crack down on seat belt violators and will deploy extra patrols on roadways through June 3. 

Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman says that the program’s goal is not to give out tickets, but to help to keep drivers and their passengers safe and alive.

Because of the high volume of traffic usually seen on Memorial Day, the commission says this weekend is a good time to implement the program.  

Statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that seat belts saved 14,668 people ages 5 and older in 2016. Data shows that in Louisiana, 87.1 percent of people wear seat belts while driving or riding in a vehicle. The commission says that data also shows that in Louisiana in 2016 53.7 percent of people who died in vehicle crashes were not properly restrained. 

For more information about the Click It or Ticket program, visit the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.