Minnesota already has a high rate of seat belt compliance — 95 percent — and that number seems to be going up
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that law enforcement wrote 32 percent fewer citations to drivers who didn't buckle up during a recent two-week "Click It or Ticket" campaign when compared to 2014. Last year police issued tickets to 10,874 motorists while issuing 7,393 this year.
"We are encouraged by the increased number of motorists making the right choice by buckling up," said Donna Berger, Office of Traffic Safety director. "However, with nearly 7,400 people still failing to wear their seat belts, we ask drivers and passengers to speak up about buckling up if somebody is unbelted in their vehicle. Unbelted motorists not only risk their own lives, but put the lives of others in danger as well."
Police also issued 175 tickets to drivers who did not have children properly restrained. That, was also down 37 percent from the 279 handed out last year. This year's campaign ran May 18 to 31.
In an oddity, one driver was ticketed twice in the same day for not wearing a seat belt, the department said.
About half of motorists killed in traffic accidents each year were not wearing seat belts. The department says the odds of being injured rise four fold for drivers and passengers who are not belted.
Minnesota has had a seat belt law since 1986. In 2009, the law was amended to make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense, meaning police could stop a vehicle if the driver or a passenger was not buckled up.
"It's getting harder to find a violation, and that's good," said Lt. Tiffani Nielson of the State Patrol. "The fact that we are citing less tells us we are seeing better compliance. Now we just want to get that last 5 percent on board."
