The message is definitely getting through as Californians are buckling up more than ever before. The State Office of Traffic Safety says 96.6 percent of Californians make it a habit to wear seatbelts.
That's up from 90 percent a decade ago, and among the highest rates in the country. Part of the credit goes to a crackdown known as "Click It Or Ticket." Not wearing a belt means facing a huge fine.
"They're going to get a ticket a minimum amount of $142, likely more than that and that's just for the first time. If there's somebody under the age of 16 that isn't properly restrained, it's going to be $472 minimum," said Chris Cochran, a spokesman from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Officials say if you don't buckle up, you have a 50-percent greater chance of serious injury in a crash and you're 35 times more likely to die, if you're thrown from the car.
