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Police across the Lapeer County will participate in the Buckle Up or Pay Up, or Click It or Ticket mobilization from May 19 through June 1.

Enforcement zones will be set up during the day, and the public will be aware they've entered a targeted area. But police will also be patrolling at night.

A special emphasis will be placed on younger male drivers.

"Statistics show that young men, between the ages of 18-34, are least likely to wear a safety belt," said Lapeer County Sheriff's deputy Deaneen North. "They're focusing this year on compliance for that age group."

Handouts and literature for the enforcement this year have an eye-catching flair because they're targeting a younger audience. Posters reading "Kiss Your Sweet Cash Good-bye," "Not Buckled You'll Get Nailed," and "How Many Hot-dogs Could You Buy for $65?" have been distributed. One meant to hang in the bathroom of a pub reads, "If you don't wear your seat belt, you'll be flushing away $65."

The extra funds for the patrols are being dispensed by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning that administers federal grants for 55 counties to increase seat belt use across the state. In Lapeer County, the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department is the fiduciary agency.

"This is a federal grant," said Lapeer County Sheriff Ron Kalanquin. "To those who say we're wasting money, it's needed to qualify for traffic road repair and federal tax dollars. It's tied to traffic safety. Michigan has always been a borderline state to quality. We also need to improve our compliance rates also for safety reasons."

According to the OHSP, the campaigns appear to be saving lives. The state has seen a downward trend in traffic deaths since 2000, due in large part to substantial increases in safety belt use. The only rise since 2000 came in 2003 when there was a modest increase of four traffic deaths. The state has one of the highest belt use rates in the country at 94percent.

Michigan law requires all drivers and front seat passengers to be buckled up and children under age 4 to be in an approved child safety seat. It also requires passengers 15 or younger to be buckled up in all positions. As of July 1, passengers under age 8 and shorter than four feet 9 inches tall will have to be in a car seat or booster seat.

Susan Younger may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8122 or susan.younger@lapeergroup.com.