POINT PLEASANT — Police officers in the City of Point Pleasant are doing their part to ensure motorists’ safety during this year’s Click It or Ticket campaign.

According to a media release, law enforcement officers are teaming up with more than 80 McDonald’s restaurants to increase the use of seat belts. The campaign is part of the annual Click It or Ticket program that kicks off next week.

Highway safety leaders and participants in the Governor’s Highway Safety Programs of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio will present the program starting Monday in the tri-state area.

Locally, officers of the Point Pleasant Police Department will be at McDonald’s beginning at 10 a.m. Monday and will distribute a free food coupon to motorists who are wearing their seat belts at the drive-thru. The coupons can be redeemed during a later trip to the restaurant.

Monday will be the first day of the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign to increase seat belt use. Strict enforcement of seat belt laws will continue until May 31. In Point Pleasant, officers will be working overtime to enforce state codes, and any motorist not wearing his or her seat belt will be issued a citation.

According to a media release, the “Seat Belts Pay Off” project began 17 years ago as a simple seat belt rewards campaign at a single McDonald’s restaurant in Huntington. This year’s campaign has grown to include the entire region and encompasses central West Virginia, southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky.

Current seat belt use in Kentucky is 72 percent, while Ohio is 82 percent and West Virginia is 89 percent. If seat belt use had been 100 percent in the three states, nearly 2,000 lives could have been saved: In 2007, there were 493,143 motor vehicle crashes in the three states. In those crashes, 2,552 died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.

Officers working the special patrols locally will be funded by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.