From May 20 to June 2, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the “And Then It Clicked” campaign. “We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike, it’s not just a safe thing to do — it’s the law.” During the “And Then It Clicked” campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented. Buckle up and stay safe!

Dan Osmond, Sheriff Seat belt Facts:

• Fifty percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes in 2022 were unrestrained (based on known restraint use).

• In traffic crashes in 2022, considering known driver restraint use by passenger vehicle type, 61 percent of pickup drivers who were killed were unrestrained, compared to 48 percent of SUV drivers, 46 percent of passenger car drivers, and 38 percent of van drivers.

• Sixty-one percent (based on known restraint use) of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in the 25-to-34 age group in traffic crashes in 2022 were unrestrained — the highest percentage of all age groups in this report.

• In traffic crashes in 2022, among passenger vehicle occupants with known restraint use, 54 percent of male fatalities were unrestrained as compared to 41 percent of females.

• In 2022 among passenger vehicle occupant traffic fatalities with known restraint use, 48 percent seated in the front row and 60 percent of those in the second row were unrestrained.

• Among passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in traffic crashes in 2022 with known restraint use, 43 percent were unrestrained during the day compared to 57 percent at night.