By Nebraska Department of Transportation
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office (NDOT HSO) has awarded grant funding to 43 law enforcement agencies across the state for the Make It Click seat belt enforcement campaign, which will run from May 15 through May 31. The campaign uses high-visibility enforcement to increase seat belt use and reduce crashes on Nebraska roadways.
“Seat belts remain one of the most effective tools to reduce the risk of fatal or serious injury in a crash,” said Ryley Egger, NDOT HSO Administrator. “As we head into the busy summer travel season, we urge drivers to buckle up before every trip. These grants help local law enforcement strengthen enforcement efforts and reinforce that message across Nebraska.”
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, Nebraska’s seat belt usage rate is 80.2 percent, ranking 46th nationally.
The campaign coincides with graduation and Memorial Day weekend, which some consider the unofficial start of summer. Preliminary data from the NDOT HSO shows that in 2025, only 59 of Nebraska’s 227 fatalities were wearing seat belts. Thus far, in 2026, there have been 69 fatalities across the state. Additionally, national data from NHTSA showed that in 2024, 48 percent of fatalities in passenger vehicles were not wearing seat belts.
The Make It Click campaign is one of the NHTSA national high-visibility enforcement campaigns, focusing specifically on the consequences of not wearing a seat belt, while urging travelers to always buckle up. Below is a full list of grantees from the NDOT HSO.