Through June 2, police and sheriff’s departments across the state will be participating in the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

During this time, more patrol officers will be out on the road conducting checkpoints, watching for careless drivers, those under the influence and making sure that everyone in a vehicle is wearing their seatbelt.

The need for campaigns like “Click It or Ticket” is because in Mississippi, there has been a decrease in the number of drivers wearing their seatbelts and properly restraining children.

Ten years ago, roads, cars and drivers were different.

Now, there are more drivers on the road with more distractions.

The use of smartphones and electronic devices while driving has greatly increased the number of accidents that happen each year.

The new safety devices in many vehicles are important in keeping drivers and passengers safe, but all of them work in conjunction with a seatbelt.

For example, an airbag is only effective if someone is properly restrained. Airbags quickly inflate and deflate.

If someone is not wearing a seatbelt when the airbag goes off, if can hurt the individual.

Without a seatbelt, a person can either go through a windshield or cause the person to be thrown around the car like a ragdoll, causing major injuries or possibly death.

Keeping children restrained is especially important.

Adults have the ability to make that choice of wearing a seatbelt and dealing with the consequences.

A child doesn’t have that same choice.

They are innocent victims in the accidents that appear in the media on a daily basis.

Many police, sheriff and fire departments host classes that teach parents how to properly install a child restraint seat.

Even if someone thinks the seat is properly installed, stop by one of these classes and check the seat.

No one wants to find out it was improperly installed because a child dies or is severely injured during an accident.