Watch Video: Because You Didn't Buckle Up - YouTube

COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) and law enforcement partners statewide announce the kickoff of the annual Buckle Up, South Carolina (BUSC) high visibility statewide safety belt enforcement, public information and education campaign on May 16, 2022. The special enforcement period will run from May 23, 2022, through June 5, 2022.

“The ‘100 Deadly Days of Summer’ kicks off Memorial Day weekend and it’s historically when we see an increase in the number of people killed on our roadways,” said SCDPS Director Robert G. Woods, IV. “SCDPS troopers and officers are urging motorists to buckle up and ensure every passenger is buckled up — whether driving close to home or taking a long summer road trip.”

The BUSC campaign runs in coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Click It or Ticket national seat belt enforcement mobilization. The annual campaign serves to remind both drivers and passengers of South Carolina’s primary safety belt law (SC Safety Belt Law | SCDPS) as law enforcement expects to see an influx of drivers on the roadways ahead of Memorial Day.

In an effort to curb fatalities, South Carolina Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, and local law enforcement partners will be enforcing state seat belt laws as part of this campaign. BUSC combines this enforcement effort with public awareness that can be seen and heard on television, radio, paid social media, and YouTube.

“So far this year, 126 of the 238 people who have died in motor vehicle collisions (with access to seat belts) were not buckled up,” said SCHP Col. Chris Williamson. “The single most important action motorists can take is wearing their safety belts and properly restraining child passengers. Even in catastrophic crashes, this one action can mean the difference between surviving that crash and preventing serious injury or the loss of life.”

State Transport Police Col. Dean Dill said his officers will focus on ensuring commercial motor vehicle drivers are also in compliance with the law and buckling up.

“People often have the misconception that drivers of large trucks are safe because the vehicle is so much larger than passenger vehicles, but the statistics do not support that assumption” Dill said. “Our truck drivers have a critical job transporting goods across our state and we want to ensure everyone gets home safely each night.”

The BUSC campaign is part of the department’s Target Zero umbrella, which guides all enforcement and education activities at SCDPS, and represents a long-term strategy to reduce and eliminate traffic fatalities in South Carolina.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.