ST. PAUL, Minn. – (June 17, 2016) – While most Minnesotans understand that seat belts and child restraints save lives, thousands of drivers were cited for not buckling up during the Click It or Ticket extra enforcement campaign from May 23 – June 5.
Law enforcement handed out 7,233 seat belt and 213 child restraint citations to those who risk losing their own lives or others in the car. Among the violations, a 4-year-old riding on his mother’s lap and helping steer the vehicle.
More than 300 law enforcement agencies participated in the annual extra enforcement effort. Here is the online list of seat belt citations by participating agency. The campaign is coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety.
Citation Results
While the 2016 numbers are about the same as last year’s, long-term trends show positive direction in seat belt compliance. The 2015 Minnesota Seat Belt Survey shows 94 percent compliance for front seat occupants.
Click It or Ticket Citations May 2013 – 2016:
- 2016: 7,233 seat belt citations, plus 213 child restraint citations.
- 2015: 7,393 seat belt citations, plus 175 child restraint citations.
- 2014: 10,874 seat belt citations, plus 279 child restraint citations.
- 2013: 10,342 seat belt citations, plus 256 child restraint citations.
“Wearing a seat belt is just common sense and it’s the law, and thankfully most Minnesotans get it,” said Donna Berger, Office of Traffic Safety director. “For those who say they’re not hurting others by not buckling up, it’s an excuse, and it’s not true. It does hurt others when you’re no longer in their lives because of a fatal crash. Join the crowd and make the right choice to increase your chance to live.”
Take Three Seconds to Stay Alive
Taking three seconds to buckle up will increase the likelihood of surviving a crash and reducing serious injuries. Unbelted motorists are often ejected from the vehicle, and airbags are not a replacement for seat belts in preventing injuries.
- In 2015, 77 percent of vehicle occupants who died after being ejected or partially ejected were not wearing a seat belt.
- In 2015 in Minnesota, airbags deployed a reported 18,152 times when the occupant was also buckled up. Fifty-six percent of these cases resulted in no apparent injury.
- In comparison, only 34 percent of the 808 cases where airbags deployed and occupants were not wearing seat belts resulted in no apparent injury.
Minnesota Child Car Seat Law
- 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.
Border to Border Challenge Results
Minnesota law enforcement participated in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration‘s Border to Border Challenge on May 23. The nationwide seat belt enforcement effort included more than 20 states and focused on seat belt violations from 6 – 10 p.m. Agencies in Minnesota issued tickets for 262 seat belt violations and 61 child restraint violations that evening. Nationally, numbers show a higher percentage of people who died in crashes overnight were not buckled up compared to fatalities during daytime hours.
