Local law enforcement agencies are cracking down on motorists and announced this week at a joint press conference they will have a zero tolerance policy regarding seat belt usage. The press conference was held Monday afternoon at the sheriff's department and was coordinated by Warrenton Police Chief Davis Bernard. Sheriff Kevin Harrison, Missouri State Highway Patrolman Trois Maloney, Wright City Police Chief Henry Matthews and Truesdale Police Chief Ken Black also were in attendance. "(Motorists) can expect to be stopped anywhere in Warren County and will receive a seat belt ticket if they are not properly buckled in," Bernard remarked. Matthews and Maloney said their respective agencies had previously followed a zero tolerance policy. This week's announcement was prompted by the recent deaths of two Warrenton High School students in separate vehicle crashes less than two weeks apart. On March 21, senior Casey Monshower was a passenger in a pickup that left the roadway and truck a tree on Sunnyside Road west of Warrenton. Eleven days later, junior Devin Sherry died after he lost control of his vehicle on Schuetzenground Road and was partially ejected. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities acknowledged that a seat belt might have prevented Sherry's death. Officers stated alcohol was not involved in either accident. "Wearing a seat belt is one of the single easiest things you can do to influence the outcome of an accident as far as improving your chances of survivability or lesser injury," Harrison said. All of the agencies are supporting passage of a primary seat belt law being considered by state legislators in Jefferson City. If approved, the amended law would allow police to pull over motorists for a seat belt violation only. Currently, seat belt infractions can only be issued if a motorist is stopped for another infraction. The law has been introduced to lawmakers in the past, but has yet to gain approval. Earlier this year, MoDOT officials said the primary seat belt law could save an additional 90 lives a year and decrease the number of injuries by 1,000. A 2008 survey conducted by MoDOT showed only 62 percent of teenagers in the state are buckling up. Of the 120 teens killed in Missouri traffic crashes in 2007, 74 percent were not wearing a seat belt. With the prom and graduation seasons approaching, local police reiterated the dangerous consequences students face if they decide to attend underage drinking parties and drive under the influence. Bernard said his department received a grant allowing the city to pay officers overtime in an effort to crack down on minors in possession of alcohol. "We are all working toward one common goal to make this a safer community," Bernard said. In addition, the local agencies plan on providing more educational opportunities to area students. A mock simulation will be held this Friday at Wright City High School and feature emergency responders re-enacting scenes from a car accident. In addition, the Warrenton Fire Protection District is coordinating a joint effort including the Warren County Ambulance District and sheriff's department where all three agencies will speak to individual classes of 25-30 students at Warrenton High School about the dangers of not wearing a seat belt and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Harrison noted the agencies are planning to host the small gatherings rather than a large assembly to allow better interaction with the students. The meetings are expected to be held before the current school year ends, he said. "I think (students) are aware the consequences are there, but just don't think it can happen to them or will happen," Harrison said. "We're trying to show them it can."

Click It or Receive Ticket: Police Cracking Down on Seat Belt Usage