Gov. Kathy Hochul's Traffic Safety Committee made it a mission to raise awareness of seat belt use by educating the youth.

The committee hosted their annual "Click It or Ticket" event at Automotive Tech High School in Greenpoint. Christian Jackstadt, executive deputy commissioner of the DMV, shared a shocking statistic about traffic accidents.

"Every 47 minutes in the U.S., someone dies in a car crash that has not been seat belted. It is a big issue that we're trying to get the word out. We're trying to educate at this level with teens to make sure that they understand the importance of putting on a seat belt," he said.

The event was in partnership with NASCAR driver Ross Chastain, who told News 12 that he tries to educate youth every chance he gets. The event hosted games for the teens and a crash simulator to get students engaged and excited about traffic safety.

News 12 spoke with students at the event who said they were engaged in the event and will be more aware in the future when they need to buckle up.