Jun 9, 2009 7:03 pm US/Central
No Warnings From MN Patrol For New Seat Belt Law
(WCCO)
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Minnesota State Patrol troopers in Mendota Heights were hard core issuing tickets to drivers they pull over. It's not enough to have just the driver buckled in.
CBS
The term "Click it or Ticket" got a little tougher on Tuesday with primary seatbelt law enforcement in effect. It was the first day officers can pull you over and write a ticket if you're not wearing a seatbelt.
Before now, tickets could only be given after another driving violation was committed.
Traffic cops hit the streets early Tuesday morning looking for those not buckled up. Lucky for the people driving in Minneapolis it was a soft start.
"We're just looking around to advise people. No ticket or anything like that," said Minneapolis Police Officer Tim Gorman.
Minnesota State Patrol troopers in Mendota Heights were hard core issuing tickets to drivers they pull over. It's not enough to have just the driver buckled in.
"Every person or passenger has to be bucked up," said Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Curt Thermes.
If they're not, everyone over 15 years old gets a ticket which with processing fees is about $100.
"And that can be a little alarming," said Gorman.
However, for troopers who've seen far too many tragedies on the road, it's a small price to pay.
"There's been dozens and dozens of crashes where the interior part of the car is completely intact and the driver would have survived had they been wearing a seatbelt," said Thermes.
The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration says the upgraded seat belt law in Minnesota could save as many as 34 lives a year and prevent up to 430 life changing injuries.
Seat belt compliance in Minnesota is already among the best in the country at 87 percent.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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