More than 2,300 unbelted motorists cited during Click It or Ticket campaign
June 20, 2023
ST. PAUL — Unbuckled children. An infant not properly restrained in a car seat. Drunk drivers without seat belts. Officers, deputies and troopers encountered them all during the most recent Click It or Ticket extra seat belt enforcement campaign.
Click It or Ticket campaign results
- Officers, deputies and troopers issued 2,382 seat belt citations and 130 child seat citations.
- 286 law enforcement agencies statewide participated in the Click It or Ticket campaign from May 22-June 4.
- The campaign includes enforcement, education and awareness to influence smart seat belt choices.
“Most Minnesotans don’t give buckling up a second thought because it’s such a simple way to stay safe,” said Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). “If you don’t like seat belts, ask your loved ones if they hope you get home alive. Think about their lives without you and make the smart choice to be there for them.”
Examples of stops
- MSP Airport Police arrested two different drivers the same night. Each had four unrestrained children in the vehicle.
- A Rogers Police officer, just three minutes into their seat belt enforcement shift, pulled over a driver for not wearing a seat belt. The driver was arrested for DWI.
- St. Paul Police pulled over a driver who had three children under the age of six not properly belted, including an infant only in a car seat shell. The driver was cited for the improper child restraint and also driving after revocation.
- A trooper in the Virginia district stopped a driver for improperly wearing a seat belt. The driver was wearing the shoulder strap below their arm and not across their chest as it should be properly worn. They were arrested for third-degree DWI (controlled substance).
Seat belt citations by agency
In the Twin Cities metro area, agencies with the most seat belt citations included:
- Saint Paul Police Department: 310
- Minnesota State Patrol – west metro region: 111
- Minnesota State Patrol – east metro region: 100
- Minnetonka Police Department: 31
- South Lake Minnetonka Police Department: 30
- MSP Airport Police Department: 29
- Bloomington Police Department: 24
- Eden Prairie Police Department - 23
- Dakota County Sheriff's Office - 22
In greater Minnesota, agencies with the most citations included:
- Minnesota State Patrol – Virginia region: 148
- Minnesota State Patrol – Rochester region: 143
- Minnesota State Patrol – Duluth region: 119
- Minnesota State Patrol – Mankato region: 108
- Minnesota State Patrol – Brainerd region: 95
- Minnesota State Patrol - St. Cloud region: 92
- Minnesota State Patrol - Detroit Lakes region: 79
- Minnesota State Patrol – Marshall region: 64
- Red Lake Police Department: 47
- Minnesota State Patrol - Thief River Falls region: 40
- Clay County Sheriff's Office: 37
- Olmsted County Sheriff's Office: 34
- Owatonna Police Department: 24
- Elk River Police Department: 23
- Wright County Sheriff's Office: 22
View the full list of participating agencies.
Buckle up and live
The 2022 Minnesota observational seat belt survey showed 93 percent compliance for front seat occupants. There are signs of improvement so far this year in unbelted fatalities, but even one life lost in a crash is one too many.
- Through June 11, the 24 unbelted fatalities compare with 34 last year at this time, 41 in 2021 and 31 in 2020.
- Preliminary counts show 87 unbelted motorists died on Minnesota roads in 2022 compared with 110 in 2021 and 105 in 2020.
- 76 percent of unbelted fatalities in 2022 occurred in greater Minnesota.
Click it, don’t risk it. The law is for safety.
Minnesota law requires all drivers and passengers to wear seat belts or be in the correct child restraint. Belts should be tight across the hips or thighs and should never be tucked under the arm or behind the back.
All children must be in a child safety seat until they are 4 feet, 9 inches tall or at least 8 years old, whichever comes first.
Learn more about Minnesota’s seat belt law and child passenger safety:
About the Minnesota Department Public Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) comprises 10 divisions where 2,100 employees operate programs in the areas of law enforcement, crime victim assistance, traffic safety, alcohol and gambling, emergency communications, fire safety, pipeline safety, driver licensing, vehicle registration and emergency management. DPS activity is anchored by three core principles: education, enforcement and prevention.
About the Office of Traffic Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) designs, implements and coordinates federally funded traffic safety enforcement and education programs to improve driver behaviors and reduce the deaths and serious injuries that occur on Minnesota roads. These efforts form a strong foundation for the statewide Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety program. OTS also administers state funds for the motorcycle safety program, child seats for needy families program and school bus stop arm camera project.