Buckle up: Minnesota participating in national seat belt enforcement campaign

Putting on a seat belt takes only a matter of seconds, but the act can save lives.

That's the message the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is spending $10.5 million to send to motorists as part of a national "Click It or Ticket" education and enforcement campaign. The initiative began Monday and will run through June 4.

"Adopt the easy habit of buckling up," said Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). "It's heartbreaking to see a crash where wearing a simple seat belt could have changed the outcome. Take two seconds and do the right thing."

In Minnesota, law enforcement across the state will be looking for unbelted motorists as part of the enforcement campaign, which will be augmented with national TV advertisements and a mix of digital, paid social media and radio spots.

Minnesota law requires vehicle occupants in all seating positions to wear a seat belt or be secured in a proper child restraint. Failing to wear a seat belt can result in a ticket and court fees costing nearly $100.

Most motorists are already complying: The 2022 Minnesota observational seat belt survey showed a 93% compliance rate for front seat occupants, according to the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Still, a lack of seat belt use is one of the four leading causes of traffic fatalities in Minnesota, DPS data show. Unrestrained motorists accounted for 87 deaths in Minnesota last year. That is down from 21% from 2021, but still slightly higher than pre-pandemic rates, DPS said.

Longterm, serious injuries resulting from crashes involving unbelted occupants have dropped significantly in Minnesota. In 1987 — the year after the state's seat belt law went into effect — 4,176 vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts sustained severe injuries in traffic crashes. That number was 1,244 last year, DPS data show.

Pickup truck drivers and their passengers have had the highest percentage of unrestrained fatalities across all vehicle types for the past 20 years. In 2021, 60% of pickup truck drivers and 64% of pickup truck passengers killed in crashes were not wearing a seat belt, NHTSA data show.

"This group continues to be at the forefront of programs to increase seat belt use," said NHTSA Chief Counsel Ann Carlson. "Your seat belt is your best protection against serious or fatal injuries in a crash."

NHTSA officials also want to reach nighttime drivers, who are less likely to buckle up. In 2021, 57% of people who died in nighttime crashes were unrestrained, compared to 43% who died during the day.

NHTSA said it plans to advocate for regulations that would require auto makers to install seat belt reminder systems in vehicles.