BENSON -- Law enforcement agencies of west central Minnesota warned commuters Thursday to buckle their safety belts because extra enforcement is on the way.
Benson Police Chief Jim Crace said local agencies needed to hold Thursday's news conference because their counties are largely accountable for the state accident statistics involving seatbelt violations.
"We have an overrepresented number of injuries in rural areas that involve seatbelt use," Crace said. " ... And we've got better things to do with our time than telling people to buckle their safety belts."
During an outdoor press conference Thursday in Benson, representatives of law enforcement agencies of four counties said they will make extra effort to enforce the state seat belt law in May during a statewide mobilization known as "Click it or Ticket Time."
"This is one of the finest coalitions in the state of Minnesota," said Brad Kollman, the Minnesota Safe & Sober campaign's law enforcement liaison, about the agencies from Meeker, Kandiyohi, Swift and Chippewa counties that gathered in Benson. "They are committed to saving lives ... but they don't want to be writing tickets."
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Instead of writing tickets, Kollman said, agencies hope for commuters' "voluntary compliance" with Minnesota's seatbelt law during this month and beyond.
As part of this enforcement, agencies will add more evening patrol hours during May, said Willmar Police Officer Marilee Dorn. Since more serious crashes happen at night, Dorn said, the evening patrols will search the most for seatbelt violations during the statewide effort.
Chief Crace said addressing traffic enforcement, such as seatbelt use, is necessary, but time spent on those matters prevents law enforcement agencies from spending more time addressing other crimes. "So just click it," he said.
Minnesota statute allows law enforcement to cite a seatbelt violation only as a secondary offense. This means seatbelt citations can be issued only with another driving violation.
But that policy could change with a pending bill in the Minnesota Legislature, Crace said.
"We think it's going to save a lot of lives," Crace said about the bill that would allow peace officers to stop a motorist strictly for a seatbelt violation.
Crace said seatbelt violations are easy to spot during daytime patrols but more difficult at night.
Whether the bill passes or not, the law enforcement officers said commuters should cut this bad habit which can cost them up to $120 per citation, endanger their lives, and cost them more money for treatment at the hospital.
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According to statistics presented by Dorn and Benson Police Officer Nancy Dosdall, western Minnesota had 77 motor-vehicle deaths between 2004 and 2006. During that period, 47 of those deaths were from unbelted commuters and 75 unbelted serious injuries were also counted.
In Kandiyohi County, 16 of the 29 motor-vehicle deaths in the last three years involved unbelted travelers, and the accidents also cost the county about $19.4 million in damages.
