Minnesota State Patrol District 2600 (encompassing Wright, Sherburne, Stearns, Meeker, Kandiyohi, Pope, Benton, Todd, Stevens, Swift, Grant, Big Stone, and Traverse counties) – State Troopers in central Minnesota cited 202 unbelted motorists during the statewide Safe & Sober seat belt enforcement campaign, May 21-June 3. In Stearns County, a total of 861 vehicles were stopped during this project that had an emphasis on enforcing selt belt laws. The following results were reported: seat belt violations – 11 warnings, 65 citations; child restraints – 2 citations; speeding – 457 warnings, 159 citations; driver after revocation – 8 citations; and warrant arrests – 3. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety coordinated the efforts of more than 430 agencies to increase seat belt use and prevent fatal and injury crashes. A seat belt citation is $25, but can cost as much as $115 with court costs and added fees. Officers also conducted nighttime patrols of belt use – 30 percent of Minnesotans killed between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. were belted, compared to 60 percent during daylight hours. A majority of Minnesotans buckle up – around 83 percent. Still, of the 2,429 vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2001-2005, about 60 percent (1,259) were not wearing seat belts. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) estimates around half of those killed would have survived if they were buckled up. The Safe & Sober effort is coordinated by the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) as a component of the state’s Toward Zero Death initiative (TZD). TZD is a multi-agency approach to address traffic issues regionally through enforcement, education, engineering and emergency trauma care and response. Remember: Click It or Ticket.
