Law enforcement officers remind drivers of seat belt importance

Published 11:50 am Monday, November 23, 2009

The results are in from the recent Nighttime Click it or Ticket patrols conducted between Oct. 23 and Nov. 8. Law enforcement officers in King County wrote 143 seat belt citations, 16 speeding infractions, four cell phone violations, and one felony warrant and two misdemeanor warrant arrests, in addition to issuing 10 uninsured motorists and 17 suspended/revoked license violations.

Statewide, approximately 50 law enforcement agencies and the WSP worked the extra patrols.

In King County, the Auburn, Black Diamond, Kent, Maple Valley, Renton and Sea Tac Police Departments, as well as the King County Sheriff’s Office, participated in the extra emphasis patrols with the support of the South King County Target Zero Traffic Safety Task Force. The extra patrols were funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Studies show that a person wearing a seat belt has a 70 percent better chance of surviving a crash than a non-belted person.

For additional information about the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, visit www.wtsc.wa.gov.