AUBURN – It takes less than 10 seconds and it could save your life.

It’s a seat belt and it’s very easy. But police who respond to car crashes every day see how many people do not take that simple step. And they see people die because of it.

In Auburn, police have this to say: “If you don’t buckle up to save your life, then buckle up to save yourself a ticket.”

Auburn police are joining more than 12,000 law enforcement agencies around the country in an effort to crack down on seat belt violators.

In Maine, all drivers and passengers are required to buckle up. This campaign though, will target teenagers and young adults.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,341 teens died and thousands more were injured in vehicle crashes in 2001. Fatality rates for teens are twice that of older drivers. The risk of crashes for teens is four times greater.

“While national seat belt use stands at 75 percent, we know the remaining 25 percent who don’t wear their seat belts are disproportionately teens and young men ages 18-34,” said Auburn Police Sgt. Tim Cougle. “And at 69 percent, safety belt use for teens and young adults ages 16-24 continues to lag behind the rest of the population.”

During the national Operation ABC Mobilization, officers in Auburn and elsewhere will intensify enforcement of seat belt laws as well as child safety laws.

Saturation patrols will be used and seat belt checkpoints will be set up. Violators will be ticketed and they will face hefty fines.

Cougle has done the math. He understands what vigilance about seatbelt laws can do.

“Enforcement gets people to buckle up,” Cougle said. “Seat belt use in states that conduct high visibility enforcement is 10 to 15 percentage points higher than in states that simply conduct public education. If every state conducted high visibility enforcement, we would save 5,000 to 7,000 lives each year.”

This year alone, an estimated 8,000 people in this country will die because they failed to buckle their seat belts, Cougle said.

In addition to increased enforcement, police will be holding free car safety checks at the Auburn Police Station on Minot Avenue.

“Traffic fatalities, especially among teens and young adults, are an ongoing tragedy we must do something about,” Cougle said. “And that is why we, the Auburn Police Department, have joined this effort.”