Strap yourself in this Memorial Day: MN launches 'Click it or Ticket' campaign

Minnesotans hitting the road for the long Memorial Day weekend would be well advised to buckle up.

The state has launched a "Click it or Ticket" campaign that runs through the end of the month, according to a release.

While a holiday weekend might seem like prime time for ticket-writing, behind the campaign is a very serious cause – curtailing Minnesota's road deaths, which are already high as the state heads into summer.

According to the Department of Public Safety, 30 people not wearing seat belts have died in fatal crashes this year, including 10 in April alone.

The agency says odds are four-times greater for injury if people aren't buckled up at the time of a crash. Nearly half of the 823 fatalities between 2012 and 2014 were people who were unbelted when the crashes occurred.

According to FOX 21, 70 percent of road fatalities happen outside the Twin Cities, while DPS says 86 percent of "unbelted deaths" took place in Greater Minnesota in 2014.

Not only is not wearing a seat belt dangerous, but it's also against the law.

Over 300 law enforcement agencies across the state will be participating in the "Click it or Ticket" enforcement campaign. Last year's "Click it or Ticket campaign" resulted in 10,874 seat belt citations, a news release said.

A "Click it or Ticket" campaign is also underway nationally.