The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has launched a seatbelt awareness program through the Memorial Day Weekend and is reminding motorists to always buckle up and keep children in child safety seats.

This year’s Click it or Ticket campaign runs from May 23-June 5. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will deploy additional patrol deputies to look for drivers and passengers who are not wearing seat belts, and vehicles in which children are not secured in child safety seats.

“Wearing a seat belt should be an automatic for all drivers and passengers,” Sgt. Robert Hill said. “It’s the safe thing to do, especially when it comes to securing children in child safety seats.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,893 people killed in crashes throughout the country in 2020 were not wearing seat belts. In California, 756 people killed in crashes in 2020 were not wearing seat belts, or nearly 20% of all traffic deaths in the state. The numbers reflect the most recent statistics available.

California law requires a child to be secured in a safety or booster seat until they are at least 8 years old, or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Children under the age of 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

Law enforcement officers can cite motorists and passengers for not wearing a seat belt.

Funding for the program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the NHTSA.