Troopers ramp up seat belt enforcement

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana State Police are giving fair warning to seat belt scofflaws: Troops will step up enforcement of the state's seat belt law beginning May 18.

It's part of a national mobilization that will take place over the Memorial Day holiday period. Thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country will be participating.

In Indiana, more than 250 law enforcement agencies will conduct special day and night patrols to identify and ticket unrestrained drivers and passengers. The campaign will end on June 3.

Last year in Indiana, there were more than 3,300 crashes involving unrestrained drivers/occupants and 202 fatalities. Police say statistics show wearing a seat belt increases the chance of surviving a crash by more than 50 percent.