KIRKWOOD, NY – State Police on both sides of the state border are reminding motorists to “Click It or Ticket”.

Troopers from New York and Pennsylvania are conducting additional patrols looking for drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts.

The campaign also focuses on seatbelt education.

Last year in New York’s Troop C, there were 10 different fatal crashes, where 8 men and 2 women were not wearing their seatbelt and there have already been 3 fatalities this year.

Troopers say it’s important for anyone riding in a car to buckle up.

“Anytime you get behind that vehicle, it is essentially a weapon. It’s a mass that’s moving at a good rate of speed and if you do get into an accident people are going to get hurt. So you need to have 100% clarity when you’re behind that wheel,” says 1st Class Trooper Bob Urban.

“Seatbelt safety is important, and we want to make sure that any one person that dies from not wearing a seatbelt, is one person too many,” says Troop C Public Information Officer Aga Dembinska.

Troopers say the message is particularly important as the summer driving season gets underway over Memorial Day weekend.

In New York, all passengers, regardless of age, must wear a seat belt wherever they are seated in the vehicle.

In PA, everyone up front must be belted in and children under 18 must wear seat belts in the back seat.

Child Passenger Safety technicians will be conducting free child seat fitting events in PA.

For a list of those places go to PSP.PA.gov.