The Virgin Islands Police Department and Office of Highway Safety are warning residents and visitors to buckle up — or face the consequences.

Launching the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, the VIPD joins the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a territory-wide push to enforce seat belt laws and raise awareness of the deadly risks of non-compliance, the agencies announced.

“Non-compliance causes an unacceptable number of injuries and fatalities on our roads each year,” said VIPD Commissioner Mario Brooks in a press release. “Seat belts, along with increased traffic enforcement, are our best defense to reduce these preventable tragedies. Our message is clear: click it or pay a ticket.”

The enforcement campaign runs through June 1 and includes heightened patrols focused on seat belt usage. Officials said this year’s initiative is especially urgent, as recent data shows that only 71 percent of motorists and front-seat passengers in the territory wear seat belts — far below the national average of 91.2 percent, according to the press release.

With an average of 14 crashes occurring daily in the Virgin Islands, the VIPD is urging the public to take the simple, proven step of wearing a seat belt on every trip. “The Department is proud to stand with NHTSA and law enforcement officials nationwide in their critical effort to remind everyone about this simple and lifesaving safety measure: buckle up,” Brooks said.

For more information on occupant protection programs or to request safety resources, contact the Virgin Islands Office of Highway Safety at (340) 473-7383 or visit www.vipd.gov.vi.