“Click-it...or Ticket”. In Minnesota we’ve seen these highway signs for nearly 37 years. But, something caught my eye while traveling in North Dakota recently. While Minnesota has-had a law stating that you may be pulled-over for not wearing a seat-belt since 2009, North Dakota is establishing a primary seat belt law this summer. Prior to 2009 in Minnesota, and 2023 in North Dakota, the primary reason for being pulled-over could not be for a seat belt violation. Drivers could still be required to pay a fine of between $25 and $100 if they were not wearing a seat belt during a traffic stop due to other reasons. Now, you may be fined even if no other law is broken.

Seat belt compliance has steadily gone-up since those early days...now to nearly 92 percent. I’ve had friends, family and acquaintances killed in traffic accidents. Many of them were not belted in. Many statistics show that your chance of surviving a serious traffic accident increases by 45 to 50 percent by “clicking it”. Drive safely.

By Greg Thomes