Unfortunately, State Patrol will always be busy

More and more of us are buckling up, but more need to heed the law.

Recent figures show nearly three-quarters of us comply with Nebraska's seatbelt law, but other figures indicate we still have a ways to go.

Armed with 366 hours of overtime, funded by an $18,000 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, Nebraska State Patrol troopers conducted the "You Drink & Drive, You Lose" special enforcement effort.

The nationwide campaign concentrated on drinking and driving in an effort to take alcohol-impaired drivers off our roads.

From Aug. 17 through Sept. 3, they issued 1,261 speeding citations and warnings, 108 driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence citations, 30 tickets for possession of drugs, 191 seatbelt citations and warnings and 77 child restraint citations and warnings.

Yes, seatbelt compliance may be up, but don't make the mistake that the state's highways are always a safe place to be. It's bad enough the troopers caught 138 with booze in their system or drugs in their car, but the real "crime" is the 77 who were ticketed or warned for violation of child restraint laws.

Until every driver is not only responsible enough to obey the laws and stay sober, and trustworthy enough to care about children in their charge and the other drivers on the road, the Nebraska State Patrol will have plenty to do.