By BEN LUNDIN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – In an effort to make the upcoming prom season safer for all St. John Parish teenagers, state and local police teamed up with Buckle-Up America to remind students that seatbelts save lives.

Several officers from the St. John Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police set up a checkpoint outside of East St. John High School on Wednesday to tally whether students, teachers and bus drivers were wearing their seatbelts.

Lawful students were rewarded with free t-shirts that read, &#8220I got caught wearing my seatbelt,” while students, teachers and bus drivers without seatbelts were given verbal warnings. No one was ticketed.

&#8220It’s public awareness for seatbelt use,” said Louisiana State Master Trooper Chris Maurin. &#8220It’s in anticipation for summer, when emotions are running high and accidents increase.”

Maurin said tickets will be issued to riders not wearing their seatbelts during and after prom season.

Of the 133 cars checked by officers, 24 occupants were not wearing their seatbelts, including two teachers and four bus drivers.

The checkpoint was part of an annual seatbelt awareness program hosted by the Louisiana State Police. Last year in St. John Parish officers staged a mock DWI crash featuring two overturned vehicles and an airlift helicopter.

Maurin used the collected data as part of a presentation at East St. John High School on Thursday intended to remind students of the possible consequences if they fail to wear seatbelts.

Buckle Up America is a national campaign to increase the use of seatbelts and child safety seats created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which recently introduced its most successful seatbelt campaign, &#8220Click it or Ticket.”