More Minnesotans are buckling up, according to statistics from the Minnesota Department of Traffic Safety Office of Traffic Safety.
The statistics come on the heels of the recent statewide Click It or Ticket campaign, which ran from May 18 through May 31. Authorities said they cited 32 percent fewer motorists for seatbelt violations and 37 percent fewer child seat violations compared to last year. Overall, Minnesotans have gotten much better at buckling up while in the car. Just take a look at the yearly Click It or Ticket snapshot below:
- 2015: 7,393 seat belt citations, including 175 child seat citations.
- 2014: 10,874 seat belt citations, including 279 child seat citations.
- 2013: 10,342 seat belt citations, including 256 child seat citations.
- 2012: 12,639 seat belt citations, including 301 child seat citations.
Donna Berger, director of the Office of Traffic Safety, said the trend is encouraging, but there’s still room for improvement.
“We are encouraged by the increased number of motorists making the right choice by buckling up,” said Berger. “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.” If you have a child in your car, you must, at all times, be aware of their positioning and if everything is in order with child seat laws. You need to make sure that you have the right one for their age and their height, etc. so checking out car seat reviews can help you narrow it down and find the best one. Parents who have already tried them can give you better feedback and advice to help ease your mind and keep in accordance with the law.
Seatbelt Statistics
Unlike the texting and driving crackdown which offered some pretty entertaining arrest reports, there weren’t a lot of out of the ordinary seatbelt citations. That said, one man was cited for a seatbelt violation twice in the same day, and he was in a different vehicle during the second traffic stop.
Authorities said wearing a seatbelt is one of the easiest ways to stay safe behind the wheel. According to traffic statistics, about half of all the people who are killed in traffic crashes aren’t wearing a seatbelt, and passengers are four times more likely to suffer an injury in a car accident if they are unbuckled.
We know that it’s easy to ignore your seatbelt, especially if you’re only driving a couple miles. Seatbelt tickets typically cost more than $100, so it’s no cheap ticket. If you’ve received a seatbelt ticket and want to challenge the citation, contact an experienced Minneapolis traffic ticket attorney today.
