(La Porte, IN) - The La Porte Police Department is keeping a sharper eye out for seat belt violators.  The effort began yesterday and runs through June 6.  Patrols are beefed up from officers working overtime under a federal travel safety campaign entitled "Click It or Ticket."

According to authorities, more than 90 percent of motorists wear seat belts, but 6 out of every 10 people killed in passenger vehicle crashes in Indiana from 2015 to 2019 were not wearing a seat belt.  “Part of our job as law enforcement is to educate and that includes reminding drivers and passengers that buckling up isn’t just a suggestion, it’s the law,” said La Porte Police Chief Paul Brettin.  Police said male drivers, ages 15 to 34, are most likely not to have a seat belt on.

Officers will be writing citations and conducting high visibility patrols especially at night when unrestrained driving is highest from midnight to 4 a.m., police said.