Telegram - Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944

Seat belts save lives. During a vehicle crash, being buckled up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle and reduces the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent.

Seat belts have saved 344,448 lives since 1975, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) first began recording this data. If everyone had been wearing a seat belt since, an additional 381,787 lives could have been saved.

It's vital that we all buckle up-every ride, front seat and back. But it can be more than just buckling up, wearing a seat belt properly is also essential.

Follow these guidelines when you buckle up:

The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the hips and shoulder, which are more able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.

Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.

The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.

NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.

Children need proper car seats and seat belts, too. Find out when your child is ready to use an adult seat belt and learn about seat belt safety when you're pregnant. You can find these and other tips for keeping kids safe in and around cars at NHTSA's Parents Central.

The spring Click It or Ticket enforcement period in Michigan will be May 17-June 6. Law enforcement will looking for motorists not wearing their seat belts. It could cost you $65. Avoid the fine and reduce your chance of injury or death in a crash: Buckle up, Michigan.