Extra Seat Belt Enforcement Discovered More Than 1,500 Motorists Risking Their Lives by Riding Unbelted
- During the two-week extra enforcement and awareness campaign, officers, deputies and troopers reported 1,556 seat belt citations and 52 child seat citations.
- Law enforcement agencies statewide participated in the Click It or Ticket campaign from Nov. 16-29.
- The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS) coordinates the statewide campaign and the funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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New advertising from DPS-OTS supported the campaign to influence smart seat belt choices in the vehicle.
A complete list of agencies participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign is available online.
Seat Belt Citations by Agency
In the Twin Cities metro area, agencies with the most seat belt citations included:
- St. Paul Police Department: 347
- Minnesota State Patrol, District 2500 (Golden Valley): 93
- Minnesota State Patrol, District 2400 (Oakdale): 64
- Ramsey County Sheriff's Office: 41
- White Bear Lake Police Department: 37
- Minneapolis Police Department: 36
In Greater Minnesota, agencies with the most citations included:
- Minnesota State Patrol, District 2700 (Duluth): 91
- Minnesota State Patrol, District 2100 (Rochester): 67
- Minnesota State Patrol, District 3100 (Virginia):48
- Minnesota State Patrol, District 2900 (Detroit Lakes): 47
- Minnesota State Patrol, District 2600 (St. Cloud): 35
Stop the Excuses and Dangerous Choices
- Eden Prairie Police stopped a vehicle for speeding (54 mph in a 35 mph zone). The officer found an infant in the back seat who was tipping over because he was not properly restrained in a car seat.
- St. Paul Police stopped a 47-year-old male for no seat belt. The driver did not have a photo identification and used a seat belt ticket from the previous day to identify himself.
- A trooper in the Virginia, Minnesota state patrol district cited the same female driver twice in about an hour for not wearing a seat belt.
- Eden Prairie Police stopped a male driver for a seat belt violation. Driver claimed he just took off his seat belt while entering an on-ramp as he couldn’t see the front corner of his vehicle. The driver was 6 feet 4 inches tall, according to his license.
- St. Paul Police cited a 34-year-old male driver twice in 40 minutes for no seat belt.
Unbelted Motorists Contributing to Significant Rise in Traffic Fatalities This Year
- From Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, preliminary reports show 93 unbelted motorists died on Minnesota roads this year, compared with 66 reported at this time last year.
- During the Nov. 16-29 extra enforcement and awareness period, two unbelted motorists lost their lives in traffic crashes on Minnesota roads.
- Over the last 10 years from Jan. 1 – Dec. 1:
- This year is the highest number of unbelted fatalities (10) of 15-19-year-olds since 2013 (11).
- This year is the highest number of unbelted fatalities (30) of 25-39-year-olds since 2012 (35).
- It’s the highest overall year-to-date unbelted fatalities since 2014 (94).
You’re Driving This Decision
- Adults must take the time to correctly use child restraints, teach children the value of buckling up and model seat belt use. From 2015 – 2019:
- 17 children (ages 0-7) were killed in motor vehicles.
- Seven of the victims were properly secured, six were not properly restrained, and restraint use was unknown in four fatalities.
- Of the 87 children (ages 0-7) seriously injured in motor vehicles, 53 percent were known to be properly secured.
- In crashes from 2015 – 2019, of the 17,055 children ages 0-7 that were properly restrained, 87 percent were not injured while another 10 percent sustained only possible injuries.
Most Minnesotans are Making Smart Choices. Save Face. Buckle Up.
- According to the 2019 Minnesota Seat Belt Survey, 93.4 percent of front seat occupants were wearing their seat belts.
- In 2019, 73 unbelted motorists lost their lives on Minnesota roads, compared with 96 in 2018.
- In 1987, 4,176 vehicle occupants suffered severe injuries in traffic crashes. That number dropped to 1,052 in 2019.
The Law is for Safety
Minnesota law states that drivers and passengers in all seating positions must wear seat belts or be in the correct child restraint. Officers will ticket unbelted drivers or passengers. Occupants must correctly wear seat belts low and snug across the hips, and they should never tuck straps under an arm or behind the back.
Minnesota Child Car Seat Law and Steps
- In Minnesota, all children must be in a child restraint until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, or at least age 8, whichever comes first.
- Rear-facing seats - All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they have reached the height and weight limits allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
- Forward-facing seats with harness - Toddlers and preschoolers who have reached the height and weight limits of the rear-facing car seat should use a forward-facing seat with harness until they reach the weight limit of the harness allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
- Booster seats - School-age children who have reached the height and weight limits of the forward-facing seat can sit on a booster seat. It must be used with a lap and shoulder belt.
- Seat belts - Children 8 years old or have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall can buckle up with seat belts. Your child is ready for an adult seat belt when they can sit with their back against the vehicle seat, knees bent comfortably and completely over the vehicle seat edge without slouching, and feet touching the floor.
Quote from Director Mike Hanson, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety
“Talk with anyone who’s been in a crash and survived because of a seat belt. They know taking the two seconds to buckle up is why they’re alive. As a former trooper, I’ve seen those crashes and am amazed at how a simple seat belt can save so many people.
“I’ve also seen the crashes involving unbuckled Minnesotans. The outcome is so heart-wrenching when I know that if they had buckled up, their chances of survival would’ve been so much greater.
“No more ‘what ifs.’ Would you like the lecture or the eulogy? Even if you’re a good driver, you can’t predict what’s going to happen on the road. Wear your seat belt, make sure your children are properly secured in the correct safety seat and don’t put your car into drive until all of your passengers are buckled.”
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