Minnesota State Patrol: Extra Seat Belt Enforcement On Roads Now

If you think you've been seeing more law enforcement on Minnesota roads, you're right. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, there is now extra seat belt enforcement on the roads.

The Minnesota State Patrol issued a warning to motorists on their Facebook page Tuesday (September 22nd), writing about just why there is extra seat belt enforcement out there right now.

Last Wednesday was "Maroon Day" in the Saint Cloud Area. If you aren't familiar with that phrase, it is a day law enforcement uses for a public relations standpoint, with all hands on deck enforcing traffic laws and using the outcome to inform the public.

This year's Maroon Day took place on Wednesday, September 16th. As a result, over 300 vehicles were stopped and nearly 150 tickets were issued. Yes, that is all in one day.

According to their post, all troopers on staff worked that day and focused on any negative driving behavior, including speeding and not using a seat belt. In fact, three motorists were stopped for going over 100 mph and about 40 people got tickets for not using a seat belt.

Things like this have been a huge issue, even more so with the ongoing pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic and throughout, the Minnesota State Patrol reported a big increase in "extreme speeding."

It seems some motorists have thrown caution to the wind amid the pandemic, thinking that rules of the road don't apply right now. For example, in May, a motorist was cited for speeding in both Minnesota AND Wisconsin. Not only was she speeding, but at one point she was going over 100 mph.