Motorists in Minnesota including the St. Cloud area will see an increased effort to use seat belts from October 10th to the 26th.

Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety says this enforcement will bring more attention on seat belt violations during this month’s Click It or Ticket extra enforcement campaign.

Office of Traffic Safety Director Donna Berger says “It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law that everyone in the vehicle must buckle up. Officers want to see motorists alive and well, and not see them because of a citation, or much worse, ejected from a violent crash.”

Currently about 95 percent of front seat occupants fasten their belt, but the rate is lower for men. An observational seat belt survey from the Department of Public Safety showed a increase of 92.8 percent among men. 

20 percent of Minnesotans used to fasten their belts in 1986 which shows a significant difference between now and then. The annual survey illustrates the increased use of seat belt since 1986:

• 64 percent in 1996 
• 83 percent in 2006
• 90.4 percent in 2011
• 91.9 percent in 2012
• 92.6 percent in 2013
• 92.8 percent in 2014

Almost half of occupants, nearly 400 people out of 816, who died in accidents in 2011-2013 did not have their belts fastened. Another revealing statistic is 78 percent of deaths occurred in Greater Minnesota resulted from not buckling up.