Michigan law-enforcement officials launched a two-week effort Friday to enforce and educate the community about safety-belt laws.
The East Lansing Police Department is among several Ingham County agencies that will participate in the campaign on Friday. Local agencies and officials designated high-traffic zones to be patrolled at peak time intervals during the day.
The East Lansing zone is on Michigan Avenue between Harrison Road and Cowley Avenue and police will patrol from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day.
Michigan State police Trooper Tom Tucker said the area chosen is highly traveled.
"That is a high-risk area around student housing because a lot of kids have a tendency to go short distances and they forget or neglect to put on their belts," he said. "Any time is a good time to patrol whether it be 10 a.m. or 10 p.m. I've seen it, they save (lives)."
When motorists enter the zone on Friday, signs will be displayed near an officer serving as a spotter. If they are not wearing a seat belt, the officer will radio ahead to another cruiser to stop the offender.
Nikki Klemmer, outreach and marketing coordinator for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, said the project reflects the "Click It or Ticket" enforcement campaign, but in the past, the two-week period surrounded a holiday when traffic is heavier.
"This is the first time we've done it throughout the summer; we wanted to see if having a summerlong effort will increase seat belt use," she said. "We wanted people to be aware to wear their seat belts all the time."
The Office of Highway Safety Planning funded the campaign which includes counties specifically patrolling for drunken drivers.
East Lansing police Lt. Kim Johnson said the effort is also to educate motorists about existing safety belt laws.
"We aren't just trying to catch people, we are trying to educate about what the law is," he said. "If they fail to abide by a law, we try to enforce it."
In Michigan, the law requires all drivers and passengers under 15 or sitting in the front seat to use safety belts. A $65 citation is issued to those who fail to use the device.
The last "Click It or Ticket" campaign was conducted during Memorial Day weekend and Klemmer said 1,155 safety belt citations were issued in Mid-Michigan alone.
Johnson said he hopes the enforcement on Friday is as successful as efforts in the past.
"We think (enforcement is) successful because we make contact with individuals about how we enforce the laws strictly," he said. "And try to save some lives in the meantime."
