OHP Warns Oklahoma Drivers, Buckle Up Or Pay The Price

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers stepped up the enforcement of seat belt laws in a program called Focus Friday.

State troopers worked several high-collision corridors in the Tulsa area Friday morning like Interstate 44 and Riverside Drive and Interstate 244 and Mingo Road.

A recent increase in injury wrecks where seat belts weren't being used prompted the Friday enforcement effort.

David Kelley has been an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper for ten years. He sees it over and over again: People not wearing their seat belts.

"Most of the time it is just because they forgot to put it on, but occasionally you'll run across somebody that just doesn't like wearing them," Kelley said.

Law enforcement officers and safety experts say not wearing a seat belt could be a fatal mistake.

"We'd much rather write somebody a $20 seat belt ticket than knock on a loved one's door, telling them they didn't make it because they weren't wearing a seat belt in an accident," Kelley said.

The highway patrol says about half of the recent injury and fatality wrecks in the Tulsa area so far in 2012, have involved people not wearing seat belts.

State troopers hope Focus Fridays will change that, improve safety and save lives.

Fine for not wearing a seat belt is $20, the fine for not buckling up children in a child restraint is a lot more expensive: $234.50.