Stepped up seat belt enforcement campaign underway in Minnesota

Stepped up seat belt enforcement began on Minnesota roads Monday and runs through June 6th.  Mike Hanson with the state Office of Traffic Safety says preliminary data show 38 unbelted motorists have died this year in Minnesota,  compared to 25 this time last year — and traffic fatalities caused by speeding are also up significantly:

The Austin Police Department and the Mower County Sheriff’s Office are among the hundreds of law enforcement agencies around the state that are taking part in the enforcement campaign.  Hanson says Minnesota has over 40 more traffic deaths this year than at the same point in 2020.