The Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) joined public safety partners from across the region to remind drivers to buckle up as part of the national Click It or Ticket campaign. At the press event, held at Virginia State Police (VSP) headquarters, RAA joined VSP, Chesterfield Police, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and AAA Mid-Atlantic to reinforce the importance of wearing seat belts ahead of one of the most dangerous and busiest travel weekends.
RAA responded to nearly 4,000 crashes last year. In 2024, nearly half the people killed in crashes across the country were not buckled. Wearing a seat belt can greatly reduce your risk of injury or death and gives Paramedics and EMTs an improved chance of saving lives in the most serious crashes.
RAA Captain Veronica Ruffin spoke at the event and, as RAA’s lead Child Passenger Safety Technician, encouraged drivers to not only buckle up every time they get into a vehicle but to make sure their child’s car seat is properly installed.
“While car seats and boosters provide protection for infants and children, car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. So parents, grandparents and caregivers, please, before you click in your seat belt, make sure your child is in the right seat and that it is secured to your vehicle correctly,” said Ruffin.
AAA estimates that 39.1 million people, including 1 million Virginians, will travel by car across the country over the Memorial Day weekend.
(Source: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles)
