Police will be checking seatbelt usage extra during a "crackdown" May 18 through May 31, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced May 15. New York was the first state in the nation to pass legislation requiring drivers and front-seat passengers to use seat belts, in 1984. “The evidence is inarguable – seatbelts save lives,” Cuomo said. “Dramatically increasing road safety for drivers and passengers can be accomplished with just the click of a seatbelt and this campaign encourages all New Yorkers to buckle up in order to prevent avoidable tragedies.” The New York State Police, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies in marked and unmarked vehicles will aggressively ticket unbelted drivers traveling the state’s roadways through border-to-border checkpoints and roving details to look for seat belt violations. The state estimates that 91 percent of New York motorists currently buckle up, which is four percent higher than the national average.