Wearing a seat belt is required of all drivers and passengers in Minnesota, and more than 1,000 people learned that lesson the hard way during the recent Click It or Ticket safety campaign.
According to statistics released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, police handed out 1,164 tickets during the most recent seat belt campaign, which ran from September 18-24. Additionally, 27 motorists were cited for not having children restrained properly in a car seat, including one parent who was caught driving with a toddler on their lap.
Seat Belt Crackdown Statistics
Perhaps the most interesting statistic to come out of the crackdown was the tidbit that in St. Paul, a driver who had been cited four straight years at the same intersection during past annual campaigns was again cited at that same intersection for failing to buckle up. Other findings from the crackdown include:
- St. Paul police wrote 195 tickets, the most of the campaign.
- Outside of the greater Twin Cities area, the State Patrol’s Duluth District led the way with 83 citations.
- Drivers in Olmsted County were some of the most compliant with the seat belt law. Only two seat belt citations were handed out during 308 traffic stops that were initiated for a different reason.
- One driver in North Branch earned a seat belt citation on top of a felony drug possession arrest after police found more than 100 grams of marijuana in their vehicle.
“Wouldn’t more than $100 in fines be better spent at a concert, sporting event, dinner with a friend or a day trip?” the Minnesota Department of Public Safety asked in a news release reporting the results.
Last year, 110 drivers in Minnesota were killed in crashes due in part to their failure to wear a seat belt, which represents the highest number in eight years. So far, 61 unbelted motorists have died in Minnesota in 2022.
And while a seat belt citation may not break the bank, future violations will become more costly. We can help provide you with some information if you are hoping to contest your seat belt violation or a different traffic citation, but our best advice is to protect yourself from injuries and fines by buckling up every time you get in a vehicle. Also make sure that your children are in the proper car seat and you ensure they are correctly buckled every time before you get behind the wheel.
If you need help with a traffic citation or arrest, let Appelman Law Firm be your resource. We offer free case consultations and we’re always open to defending you in court if you want to contest the issue. For more information, give our team a call today at (952) 224-2277.
