Starting on May 21, the Federal Way Police Department along with nearly 75 other law enforcement agencies in the state will be conducting nighttime seatbelt emphasis patrol.

For the first time since the beginning of Washington State's "Click It Or Ticket" campaign, extra patrol emphasis will be conducted at night.

Vehicle occupant deaths in Washington for the years 2001 to 2005, there were 2,366 deaths, 1,153 (49 percent) occurred during the day (6 am - 6 pm) and 1,198 (51 percent) occurred at night (6 pm - 6 am). The number of people killed during the day is about the same as those killed at night, but the death rate at night is approximately four to five times higher because traffic volumes are much lower at night.

Often vehicle occupants believe that law enforcement can't see unbuckled motorists at night, so seat belt use is lower and consequently the nighttime deaths is higher. Due to the high fatality rate at night, due to unbuckled occupants, the "Click Or Ticket It" campaign has targeted the nighttime hours, one of the first projects of this kind in the country.

This new project is being funded by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) with a special federal pilot grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Washington's seatbelt law passed in 1986 and at the time only 35 percent of motorists buckled up. Washington's primary seatbelt law (which gives law enforcement the authority to pull over unbuckled motorists) became effective in June, 2002, at which time, seat belt use in the state was between 79 to 82 percent. The "Click It Or Ticket" campaign was adopted in 2002 and since its inception: seat belt use has risen to 94 percent. According to a state wide observational survey done in June, 2006, Washington has the highest seat belt use ever recorded in the United States, and the world at 96.3 percent, as compared to the national seat belt use average is 81 percent.