Buckle Up: Minnesota Stepping Up Seat Belt Enforcement

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you don't buckle up while driving, you could be paying up.

More than 300 law enforcement agencies across the state will be on the lookout for drivers who aren't wearing seat belts. The Department of Public Safety says there will be extra enforcement starting Monday until June 4.

A tow truck lifted up a car by its seat belt Thursday to show how strong seat belts are. State officials say drivers should stay safe rather than sorry.

"You may be a good driver, but your final destination is never guaranteed," Donna Berger of the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety said. "All it takes is that one time of a deer jumping out, you could roll, you could be ejected."

At least 25 people who weren't wearing seat belts have died in crashes in the state so far this year.