The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program is urging North Carolinians to buckle up this Memorial Day so everyone can safely honor those who died while serving in the U.S. military. State and local officials appeared recently aboard the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington to reinforce the traffic safety message. It’s all part of this year’s Memorial Day “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which started on May 22 and runs until June 4.

The campaign encourages people to buckle up through enforcement and education, including increased law enforcement patrols and seat belt checks in all 100 North Carolina counties. Each year, one of the main contributors to vehicle deaths is people who don’t wear seat belts.

Over the last six years, more than 40 percent of the people killed in vehicle crashes were not wearing a seat belt. It’s not just dangerous to ride unbelted, it can also be expensive. People who violate North Carolina’s seat belt law can face a fine of $180 or more.

For more safety tips, follow @NCGHSP on Facebook and @NC_GHSP on Twitter and Instagram. For more information, visit the Governor’s Highway Safety Program webpage​.