Minnesota's seat belt use is 83 percent compliance, yet unbelted motorists account for a third of all traffic deaths each year. To prevent unbelted traffic deaths, officers will conduct added patrol Oct. 12-21 during a statewide "Click It or Ticket" seat belt enforcement sweep.

About 400 agencies statewide will participate in the campaign administered by the state Department of Public Safety (DPS). A seat belt citation is $25 but can cost as much as $115 with court and administrative fees.

A seat belt observational survey in June reported a vast majority of Minnesotans buckle up. Still, of the 2,344 vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2002-2006, more than half (1,214) were not wearing seat belts. DPS estimates around half of those killed would have survived if they were buckled up.

In 2006, Chisago and Isanti Counties had 12 fatalities and more than 400 injuries in motor vehicle crashes. The economic impact of this is literally in the millions of dollars.

Teen drivers specifically are over-represented in traffic crashes and deaths - and lack of belt use is a major factor.

"When teens are riding together, it's critical someone speak up to tell their friends to belt up" notes Bob Bollenbeck, Isanti County Toward Zero Deaths Program Coordinator.

Medical costs for unbelted crash victims are typically double those of belted victims. Nationally, every household pays $200 annually for costs related to traffic crashes.

The Safe and Sober effort is coordinated by the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) as a component of the state's Toward Zero Deaths Initiative (TZD). TZD is a multi-agency approach to address traffic issues regionally through enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency trauma care.