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Better buckle up -- or pay the piper If you tend not to wear your seat belt, you might want to start putting it on. Police started a 10-day enforcement blitz Friday to try and get more motorists to wear seat belts. The Three Flags Campaign, running through Feb. 21, involves hundreds of police agencies in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The Oregon State Police's Central Point office has received funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation to work extra hours on seat belt enforcement. According to the state police: Jackson County's seat belt usage is less than 83 percent, lower than the more than 90 percent in other parts of the state. While most people who don't wear their seat belts are traveling within 25 miles of their homes, more than half of all traffic crashes happen with 25 miles of where the crash victim lives. Four of the six people killed in traffic crashes last month in the county weren't wearing seat belts. "While our local OSP officers cited nearly 1,000 seat belt violators last year, I am encouraging them to increase their enforcement contacts," Sgt. Steven Cupernall said in a statement. "We are starting to see officers cite more, warn less, and to cite for improperly wearing seat belts, such as under the arm or behind the back." Other local police departments including Ashland, Rogue River police and the Jackson County Sheriff's Department have received enhanced funding for the campaign, the state police said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA