(KLZA)-- Missouri Law Enforcement will be out in full force through the end of the month in an attempt to help  improve teen seat belt use and save lives. 

This years campaign theme is “Seat Belt Check!” is to remind everyone to hold each other accountable and make a seat belt check before the car starts.

Teens are some of the most inexperienced drivers, yet only 74 percent of Missouri teenagers buckle up according to statistics from the Missouri Department of Transportation .  

Of the 56 teenagers killed in Missouri traffic crashes in 2019,  44 were vehicle occupants and 33 were not buckled up. Statistics indicate seat belt use reduces the risk of fatal injuries to front-seat passenger vehicle occupants by 45 percent and reduce the risk of moderate-to-critical injuries by 50 percent. 

In addition, with no primary seat belt law or all-driver texting ban in Missouri, teens and all motorists are asked to personally take the challenge to  Buckle Up Phone Down.