The City of Missoula will be enforcing the Click It Or Ticket Zero Tolerance Campaign through May 31, to encourage seat belt usage and enhance traveling safety over the Memorial Day weekend.

Traffic Sergeant Greg Amundsen with the Missoula Police Department said Click It Or Ticket is part of a national campaign of traffic safety.

"Lots of law enforcement agencies nationwide are involved as they attempt to get people to use their seat belts," Amundsen said. "There will be a no-tolerance policy when it comes to seat belt usage, so it we stop you and you're not wearing your seat belt, you will get a ticket for it, we're not going to be giving warnings."

Amundsen said because the seat belt ticket is a secondary violation, the driver would have to be pulled over for another offense before a ticket could be issued, however, he said the numbers for seat belt usage and safety are undeniable.

"The numbers here in Montana are roughly between 65 and 70 percent of highway fatalities are people that are not wearing seat belts."

Law enforcement agencies around the country will be stepping up enforcement May 18 to 31, just ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Extra patrols are funded by the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, which uses federal money through the Montana Department of Transportation.

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