Minnesota Click It or Ticket Campaign in Effect
June 2012
The attorneys at Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben would like to remind Minnesota residents that the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign to increase seatbelt awareness is in full swing. Many Minneapolis residents may have already noticed the new billboards that have been raised downtown, and the TV advertising is running on all major networks throughout the state.
The TV ads and the new digital billboards display a dramatic video image of a person jumping off a 12-story building. The force from a fall at that height is comparable to that of a collision at 60 mph without the benefit of a seatbelt. After the camera quickly zooms from the top of the building to the pavement below, the video ends with a simple imperative message: Buckle up.
The television ads are scheduled to continue running and the billboards will stay up until June 10, although the core campaign is set to end on June 3. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign is sponsored by nearly 400 law enforcement agencies in Minnesota and by about 10,000 agencies across the nation.
Drivers throughout the state should understand that “Click It or Ticket” is much more than an advertising campaign. Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers have all increased their patrols to check for people not wearing seatbelts, and a zero-tolerance policy has been put into effect.
In defense of the Click It or Ticket ads, physics professor Dan Dahlberg of the University of Minnesota went on record by stating, "It’s a law that you wear your seat belt. You may choose to break that law and not wear your seat belt, but there are laws you can’t break, and those are the laws of physics. If you choose to not wear your seat belt and are unfortunate enough to get in an accident, then the laws of physics may break you in return."
Of the 878 people who died in Minnesota traffic accidents from 2009 to 2011, 43 percent were not wearing seat belts. The experienced Minnesota auto accident attorneys at Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben ask that everyone wear their seatbelts for their own safety, but if you or a loved one is injured in an auto accident, do not hesitate to give us a call at (612) 377-7777 or 1-800-752-4265 (toll free) for a free, no-obligation consultation. Or visit the Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben mobile website with your smartphone and check out the handy Accident App that will take you step-by-step through the post-accident process.