Local law enforcement issued 39 seatbelt tickets during the most recent “Click It or Ticket Campaign” from Oct. 4 through 19.

Of the 139 traffic stops by the Mower County Sheriff’s Office and Austin Police Department, eight people were also cited for revoked or suspended licenses, and there were 15 to 20 citations for other offenses, such as speeding, no driver’s license, equipment and insurance issues. Deputies and officers worked 56.5 extra hours.

Statewide, law enforcement cited 8,297 motorists and passengers for not buckling up. In a similar enforcement effort in October 2012, 8,569 motorists and passengers were cited for not wearing seatbelts, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety.

The enforcement campaign featured 336 participating agencies statewide. In addition to seatbelt citations, reporting agencies issued 341 citations for child passenger safety seat violations.

“Our goal with these seatbelt campaigns is to both educate motorists and passengers, and enforce the law in an effort to reinforce safe driving behavior,” said Donna Berger, DPS Office of Traffic Safety director. “Enforcement efforts like this one have served an important purpose by increasing belt compliance to record-high levels.”

Minnesota’s statewide seatbelt rate is at a record-high 94.8 percent, according DPS’ 2013 observational seatbelt survey. Each year, DPS conducts a survey of more than 16,000 motorists across the state.

Minnesota seatbelt statistics (2010–2012) — 361 deaths of
unbelted motorists continues to represent a significant amount of Minnesota’s traffic fatalities, especially in Greater Minnesota. In the last three years on Minnesota roads (2010-2012):

—852 motorists died in crashes, of which 361 (42 percent) were not buckled up.

—171 (49 percent) of the 361 unbelted deaths were motorists ages 16–29.

—302 (84 percent) of the 361 unbelted deaths occurred outside the seven-county Twin Cities metro area.