It’s “Click It or Ticket” season again. As part of that campaign, between now and June 4 New Jersey law enforcement will be paying extra attention to whether drivers and passengers are wearing seat belts. The state Division of Highway Traffic Safety has disbursed almost $800,000 to help pay for increased road patrols, seat-belt checkpoints and other enforcement efforts.

In 2021, the year for which the most recent data is available, there were 160 “unbelted” traffic fatalities in the Garden State and 47% of all motor vehicle occupant fatalities went unrestrained, according to the state attorney general’s office.

The goal of “Click It or Ticket” is to raise awareness of how buckling up can be lifesaving. During last year’s campaign, law enforcement agencies issued 8,373 seatbelt citations statewide, wrote 3,315 speeding summonses and made 278 arrests for impaired driving. In New Jersey, the maximum fine for a seat belt violation is $46.