Click It or Ticket: Extra Seat Belt Enforcement Begins Friday

"Forgetting to set an alarm clock just one time can cause a person to be late to work or school. Forgetting to buckle up just one time may prevent a person from ever getting to work or school." Minnesota law enforcement wants to remind motorists that seat belts save lives, more than 300 law enforcement agencies across the state will be participating in the statewide Click It or Ticket campaign Oct. 14 – Oct. 30.

The extra enforcement and education effort is coordinated by the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety, according to a news release.

“Whether it’s unbuckling to reach down for something or not buckling because you are just a few blocks away from your destination, it only takes one time for tragedy to strike,” said Donna Berger, Office of Traffic Safety director, in a statement.

“You significantly increase your chances of surviving a crash if you buckle up every time you get in the vehicle.”

Not Buckling Up is a Dangerous Decision

Good people make bad choices on the road every day and not wearing a seat belt can prove tragic.

• In 2015, 91 unbelted motorists lost their lives on Minnesota roads.
• In a five year period (2011 – 2015), 38 percent of the 1,379 people killed while riding in motor vehicles were not wearing seat belts.
• In 2015, 77 percent of vehicle occupants who were ejected or partially ejected and died were not wearing a seat belt.
• In Minnesota in 2015, seat belts saved an estimated 227 people ages 5 and older. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Most Minnesotans buckle up. The 2016 Minnesota Observational Seat Belt Survey results show:

• A 93 percent compliance for front seat occupants.
• Males continue to buckle up at a lower rate (90 percent) compared with females (96.5 percent).
• Pickup drivers have the lowest seat belt use.
• Pickup truck 83.6 percent
• Passenger vehicle: 95.2 percent
• Van/Minivan: 92.8 percent
• SUV: 95.2 percent

Statewide seat belt use by percent

2016: 93.2

2015: 94

2014: 94.7

2013: 94.8

2012: 93.6

2011: 92.7

2010: 92.3

2009: 90.2

Minnesota Seat Belt Law

Minnesota law requires all motorists to buckle up or be seated in the correct child restraint. Officers will stop and ticket unbelted drivers or passengers. Seat belts must be worn correctly — low and snug across the hips or thighs, and shoulder straps should never be tucked under an arm or behind the back.

“Our hope is that one day we no longer find a motorist who chooses to not wear their seat belt,” said Lt. Heath Dienger, Minnesota State Patrol. “Until that day comes, we will continue to aggressively stop those who are not belted to encourage them to comply with the law for their safety.”

Minnesota Child Car Seat Law and Steps

• In Minnesota, all children must be in a child restraint until they are 4’9” tall, or at least age 8, whichever comes first.
• Rear-facing child seats - Newborns to at least 1 year and 20 pounds; recommended up to age 2. It is safest to keep a child rear-facing as long as possible.
• Forward-facing seats - Age 2 until around age 4. It's preferable to keep children in a harnessed restraint until they reach the maximum weight limit.
• Booster seats - Use after outgrowing a forward-facing harnessed restraint; safest to remain in a booster until 4 feet 9 inches tall, or at least age 8, whichever comes first.
• Seat belts - Use when children can sit with their back against the vehicle seat and have their knees bent comfortably over the edge with their feet touching the floor.

Image via Benjamin Goodger, Flickr, used under Creative Commons