Jaime Sweatman was driving home from the family-owned business in Cross when her life came to an abrupt end in 2004.

Troopers say Sweatman, 16, likely would have survived the single-vehicle accident if she had been wearing her seat belt. Instead, she was ejected and died in the crash.

On Thursday, her mother, Robin Sweatman, praised a new seat-belt law that takes effect today allowing officers to stop motorists for not wearing seat belts and dole out tickets that carry $25 fines.

"My mission is to let every parent know that this can happen to them," Sweatman said.

In Charleston, officers don't plan to give motorists many breaks.

"Everybody's aware of what's going on," said traffic Sgt. Alvin Mitchell. "If they are clearly breaking the law, we'll issue a ticket."

In addition to a ticket, a motorist might receive a lecture about the dangers of driving without a seat belt, Mitchell said.

In Hanahan, officers might show a more discretion. "We've told our guys 'Don't go wild,' " said Hanahan Patrol Lt. Michael Fowler.

For years, police have been able to issue ticket for not wearing a seat belt only if they had stopped a vehicle for another offense.

As of Thursday, 1,019 people had died on South Carolina's roads this year, according to Max Young, director of highway safety for the Department of Public Safety. The state is on track to break the 1972 mark of 1,099, Young said.

Not including bicyclists, pedestrians or motorcyclists, 801 people in those crashes have had access to seat belts. Of those, 552 were not wearing a seat belt.

Contact John Chambliss at 937-5573 or jchambliss@postandcourier.com.