Over a quarter of Wisconsinites don't wear their safety belt.
Seat belt use in Wisconsin is among the lowest in the nation — at about 74%. The national average is 83%. State Patrol Major Dan Lonsdorf says those who refuse to wear a safety belt are by nature risk-takers.
"People who don't wear seat belts are risk-takers, and those who do other risky behavior such as maybe drive a little too fast, they drive distracted by texting or talking on cell phones, and they tend to once-in-a-while drink more than they should and still drive a car."
Lonsdorf adds, generally men are more reluctant than women to buckle-up.
"And an age group of men somewhere in the neighborhood of 16-to-34 year-old men, more often than not drive in pickup trucks and similar type vehicles, and more rural than in the urban settings are generally the ones most at risk by not wearing their seat belts."
Londsdorf says seat belt usage falls down drastically after dark, so officials will focus on that time period during their Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs through the end of the month.
Considering Wisconsin has "secondary enforcement" Lonsdorf says officers are watching for traffic violations with an eagle eye and aggressively stopping motorists to make sure they're using their seat belts. The DOT 's goal is to reduce the number of preventable traffic deaths to zero in Wisconsin.
Governor Jim Doyle's state budget proposal includes "primary enforcement" for seat belt usage.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:30 MP3)
