CLEAR LAKE, IA-Law enforcement around the area are cracking down on drivers tonight in a joint project.
Seatbelts are the main concern.
Clear Lake and Mason City PD, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Department and Iowa State Patrol are all participating in the nighttime seatbelt enforcement project.
It's a coordinated effort not just to give tickets...but to make the community aware of how important safety belts really are.
These police officers are on the lookout for one main thing this evening...seatbelts.
Lt. Dan Schaffer with the Iowa State Patrol said, "If we can increase our enforcement of nighttime safety belt violations hopefully we can drive our fatality statistics down."
They are putting together a "sting-like" operation to catch violators. Here's how it works.
A man, who actually works for the state patrol, acts like a panhandler; he has his eye out for drivers and passengers not wearing their belts. When he spots one...he lets the half dozen police on-stand-by know.
Then those in the patrol cars...take over.
Each department likes to conduct these types of projects every once and a while, but it's no small feat.
It takes planning, coordination - and money.
Luckily grant dollars help to fund the operation.
Even though the violators get a 127 dollar ticket, they hope it's a bigger lesson learned then just an emptier wallet.
Lt. Debra Ryg with the Clear Lake Police Department said, "First of all it saves lives, 2nd of all tonight because the roads are terrible if you were in an accident it could save your life."
And most ... get the point
Lieutenant Schaffer tells us that during the day..more than 90 percent of Iowans use their seatbelt, however at night 45 percent of accidents that have fatalities were not using seatbelts.
He said if it means giving out a few tickets during a seatbelt check than going to the scene of a fatality that could have been avoided by using a seatbelt. It’s worth it.
