The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is urging drivers and passengers across the state to buckle up as part of the 2025 “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which runs from May 19 through June 1. This high-visibility initiative aims to raise awareness about the lifesaving importance of seat belt use and reduce fatalities on Missouri’s roadways.
The campaign comes amid troubling statistics: In 2024, 955 people were killed in traffic crashes across Missouri, with 62 percent of those victims not wearing a seat belt. So far in 2025, 185 traffic fatalities have occurred, and 52 percent of those killed were not buckled up. Among teens ages 15 to 19, 72 were killed in 2024, and 71 percent were unrestrained at the time of the crash.
MoDOT’s Highway Safety and Traffic Division is coordinating the effort with law enforcement agencies across the state. These agencies are being asked to increase seat belt enforcement during the two-week campaign, with some eligible to receive grants to fund overtime patrols. Agencies without grants are still encouraged to participate by committing resources to enforcing seat belt laws during routine patrols.
“This is about saving lives,” said Jon Nelson, MoDOT State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer. “Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash. We’re urging everyone in Missouri to take that extra second and buckle up—every trip, every time.”
Agencies must report enforcement data, officer hours, and payroll information to MoDOT after the campaign. Reports are due no later than June 30, 2025.
For more information about the campaign, law enforcement agencies and the public can contact Mike Stapp at michael.stapp@modot.mo.gov or by calling 800-800-2358 or 573-751-0599.
MoDOT reminds Missourians: Click It or Ticket. Buckle Up. Every Time.
