Seat belt campaign to start next week

Law enforcement agencies throughout North Dakota are gearing up to conduct increased seat belt enforcement through a Click It or Ticket campaign running Jan. 13, through, Jan. 21.

“We’re at a peak time for dangerous driving conditions here in North Dakota,” said Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser. “With snow, sleet and other hazardous weather-related driving conditions beyond our control this time of year, there is one thing we can control; buckling our seat belts each and every time we enter a vehicle to ensure we’re doing everything we can to protect ourselves.”

The national average of seat belt use in the United States, as reported by the National Occupant Protection Use Survey, was 85 percent in 2010. The 2011, Seat Belt Use in North Dakota survey shows North Dakota’s seat belt use rate was 76.7 percent.

“It’s evident that North Dakota falls below the national average of seat belt use,” Jamestown Police Department Officer Jason Prochnow said. “Our hope is increased enforcement efforts, like the ones currently being conducted, will heighten people’s awareness of wearing a seat belt each and every time they are traveling in a vehicle. Our goal is to ensure we’re doing everything we can to stay safe, as we travel North Dakota roadways.”

In 2010, 71 percent of individuals killed in motor vehicle crashes in North Dakota were not wearing their seat belts.

Tags: law enforcement, seat belt, news, safety