The Click It or Ticket evaluation, 2012 [Traffic Safety Facts]

Hinch, Mary; Solomon, Mark G.; Tison, Julie · 2014 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This research note evaluates the 2012 "Click It or Ticket" (CIOT) mobilization, a national high-visibility enforcement campaign conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to encourage seat belt use. The study assesses the effectiveness of the campaign’s publicity and enforcement efforts, specifically targeting 18- to 34-year-old males, a demographic disproportionately represented in unrestrained fatalities. The evaluation aims to identify successes and areas for improvement within the CIOT program, which has been conducted annually since 2003. The 2012 mobilization involved over 10,000 law enforcement agencies across 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands during a two-week period. Publicity efforts included $20 million in paid media, primarily television and radio, alongside earned media coverage. Data collection methods included an analysis of reported seat belt citations and a nationally representative telephone survey administered before and after the mobilization. The survey sampled 1,481 respondents pre-campaign and 1,455 post-campaign, with oversampling of the target demographic. Statistical analyses, including Wald and Pearson chi-square tests, were used to measure changes in public awareness, slogan recognition, and perceived risk of citation. The results indicated that observed national daytime seat belt use increased significantly from 84% in 2011 to 86% in 2012. Survey data showed statistically significant increases in awareness of messages to buckle up and special enforcement efforts for both the total sample and the target group. CIOT slogan recognition reached an all-time high of 85% for the total sample, though it declined slightly for the target group. However, the study identified concerning long-term trends: reported seat belt citations decreased by 44% from their 2005 peak, dropping from 25 to 14 citations per 10,000 residents in 2012. Additionally, public awareness of seeing or hearing about enforcement efforts declined over time, and perceived risk of receiving a ticket showed only a non-significant increase. Primary law states issued twice as many citations as secondary law states. The authors conclude that while CIOT has contributed to increased seat belt use and slogan recognition, declining enforcement visibility and citation rates present opportunities for program improvement. The report suggests that strengthening local news coverage of enforcement activities and increasing the visibility of police enforcement, particularly in secondary law states, could enhance public perception of enforcement risk. The findings underscore the need to maintain and adjust occupant protection programs to sustain gains in seat belt use, noting that seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives in 2011, yet 52% of fatalities remained unrestrained.

Key finding

Observed daytime seat belt use increased from 84% in 2011 to 86% in 2012, while reported seat belt citations declined by 44% from their 2005 peak.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 2936

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• seat belt use
• public messaging

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence