Thousands of motorists will take to the roads this Memorial Day weekend, and law enforcement will be cracking down on those who don't buckle up.

To stress the importance of seat belt use, Governor Matt Mead joined local law enforcement officials and community leaders Tuesday morning to kick off the "Click It or Ticket" May Mobilization event.

"Wyoming doesn't have an interest in giving tickets," said Governor Mead. "Wyoming has an interest in saving lives."

In 2015, 76 percent of those killed on Wyoming's highways were not buckled up. Of those fatalities, 75 percent were Wyomingites.

"They are not anonymous statistics," said Governor Mead. "They are our families, they are our neighbors, they are our friends."

Colonel Kebin Haller with the Wyoming Highway Patrol says while more and more people are using their seat belts, it still hasn't "clicked" with some groups to wear them.

"Pickup drivers in the state, for whatever reason, don't seem to buckle up," said Colonel Haller. "We particularly have some concerns with teenage, male drivers. They seem to not want to choose to buckle up and with that often times comes tragedy whenever there is a crash."

Colonel Haller says about 70 to 80 percent of Wyomingites aren't "clicking it", which is double the number of non-residents who don't buckle up.

"Wyoming can and needs to do better," said Colonel Haller.

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