MADISON, Wis. -- About 74 percent of people wore their seat belt in Wisconsin last year -- about 10 percent below the national average, according to state officials.

Some say that this could change for the better under the proposed state budget. A provision included in it would let law enforcement pull over people solely for not buckling up.

Right now, Wisconsin law enforcement can cite motorists, but not pull them over for not wearing a seat belt. However, it's very likely that this will change by July 1. At that time, riders might have to watch their shoulder strap as well as their speed.

Included in the state budget proposal now being debated by the state Senate is a change in the law that allows officers to pull a vehicle over for a seat belt violation -- something called primary enforcement.

Maj. Dan Lonsdorf, of the Wisconsin State Patrol and director of Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Safety, said the measure gives officers a option to enforce the law.

"All this does is allow law enforcement to stop people specifically if they would like to for that violation. You see somebody not wearing a seat belt, you can stop them for that," he said.

Currently, police officers need a different reason to make a traffic stop before they can give someone a $10 seat belt ticket. This is called secondary enforcement.

Dave Mallien, a 30-year tractor-trailer driver from Medfford, said he isn't sure if a stricter law or more tickets will make more people buckle up. He said he always does every time he drives.

"When I was 18 or 19 years old, it was a different story. But now, I have a grandchild and got to live for her, you know, so that's why I do it," said Mallien.

Wiith all the miles he's traveled, Mallien said he's seen too many bad crashes to roll the dice, and recent crashes with ejections from the vehicles in the Madison area demonstrate what a tragic price can be paid.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration studies show seat belts reduce the chance of death by about 45 percent, the risk of serious injury by about 50 percent and the average initial medical cost by 55 percent.

But after six years of debate, it's likely the state will now adopt primary enforcement to collect $15 million in federal funds before they run out June 30, WISC-TV reported.

State Patrol officials said that whatever the reason, bring it on.

"What we're trying to do is get people to put their seat belts on because we know it saves lives," Lonsdorf said.

He said 40 to 60 lives per year in Wisconsin would be saved if primary enforcement was adopted. He also said the extra enforcement won't be a burden to officers because they already aggressively enforce seat belt violations, issuing $60,000 to $70,000 in tickets each year.

He said doesn't expect enforcement would change much if the law changed.

The measure has to be passed and in effect on July 1 for Wisconsin to collect the federal funds.

The governor proposed the change initially, and the Joint Finance Committee forwarded it on a 14-1 vote. The Assembly passed it, but the state Senate must still vote on the plan.

Should budget debate stall passage of the provision, some said they hope it will be pulled out of the budget and passed separately to meet the deadline.