The Surprise Police Department is stepping up enforcement of seat belt laws as Memorial Day approaches.

The department is partnering with the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and other local law enforcement agencies to enforce the state’s seat belt and child safety seat laws to help save lives.

The national high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort runs from today to Sunday, June 1.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging drivers to buckle up ahead of a national “Click It or Ticket” seat belt safety campaign.

Surprise Police will step up traffic patrols to encourage drivers and passengers to wear seat belts. The campaign is based on high-visibility traffic enforcement with a zero-tolerance approach to seat belt and child safety seat usage.

Despite widespread efforts to educate drivers about the importance of wearing seat belts, motor vehicle collisions continue to be the leading cause of death and serious injuries in the state.

Authorities said regular seat belt use is the most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. When worn correctly, seat belts have proven to reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50%.

Properly installed booster seats reduce the risk of serious injury by 45% among children ages 4 to 8.

Arizona presently conducts enforcement under a secondary seat belt law and a primary child safety seat law. Primary enforcement laws allow police officers to stop a vehicle because of a suspected violation.

By contrast, secondary enforcement laws allow officers to issue a citation for a seat belt violation during a traffic stop for another violation.

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is providing funding for this enforcement campaign.