LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Lincoln Police Department is stepping up seat belt enforcement efforts as part of its “Make It Click” initiative this holiday season.

LPD officials say additional officers will be on patrol throughout the city from Nov. 23 to Dec. 1, with a zero-tolerance policy for drivers caught not wearing seat belts.

According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, 138 of the 186 people who died in passenger vehicle crashes in 2023 — about 74 percent — were not wearing seat belts. Nebraska also ranks fourth lowest in the nation for seat belt use, with only 77 percent of residents wearing seat belts, compared to the national rate of 90.4 percent.

With Thanksgiving and other holiday travel on the horizon, Lincoln police are urging drivers to fasten their seat belts for every trip, every time.

The enforcement project is funded by a grant from NDOT’s Office of Highway Safety.

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