One of the worst aspects of a police officer's job is telling the family of someone who died in a car crash that a seat belt might have made a difference, says Fargo's police chief.
Chris Magnus and representatives from other law enforcement agencies announced Friday the beginning of the latest "Click It or Ticket" campaign to encourage people to buckle up.
Now through Memorial Day, more officers will be enforcing seat belt use in Cass and Clay counties and the Minnesota lakes country.
Magnus recalled one crash that still haunts him.
It involved five teenagers who died but likely would have lived had they buckled up.
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"That is just a sickening feeling," Magnus said of having to break the news to family members. "We don't need to do that anymore."
Clay County Sheriff Bill Bergquist said more people seem to be wearing seat belts on the interstate, but they forget that accidents are just as likely to occur on smaller highways or on residential streets.
Officers in North Dakota and Minnesota need a violation other than not wearing a seat belt to make a traffic stop.
"There's a good chance if you're not wearing it, we're going to find a violation," Bergquist said.
In the past, some officers would issue speeding tickets while letting drivers off with a warning for failing to wear a seat belt, said Sgt. Andrew Schmidt of the Minnesota State Patrol.
But that's no longer the case, Schmidt said, and officers won't be afraid to write two or three tickets at one traffic stop.
Of 462 people killed in Minnesota traffic accidents last year, 240 were not wearing seat belts, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Amy Dalrymple at (701) 241-5590
