Press Release:

Patrols on throughout King County from May 23 to June 5__Saving money can be simple! It's as easy as wearing a seatbelt. You not only save money by avoiding a $124 ticket, but it is the best defense in helping save your life and the lives of passengers in the event of a crash.__In Washington State between 2005 and 2009, 2,866 people died in vehicle collisions and another 13,749 were seriously injured. The good news is that traffic deaths among motor vehicle occupants have fallen 32% and serious injuries are down 27% on Washington roadways since 2002. In spite of these dramatic strides, we can't afford to waiver on seat belt enforcement now.__That's why between May 23 and June 5, motorists can expect to see law enforcement patrolling city and county roadways in search of unbuckled or improperly buckled drivers and passengers. The Auburn, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Burien, Clyde Hill, Covington, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Newcastle, North Bend, Pacific, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Snoqualmie and Tukwila Police Departments and the Washington State Patrol will be participating in these extra patrols, with the support of the King County Target Zero Task Force. See below for listing of participating agencies throughout the Puget Sound area in Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Jefferson, Whatcom and Skagit Counties.__To see a list of all Washington law enforcement agencies participating in this mobilization and multimedia links, click on www.wabuckleup.com.
_"Law enforcement officers would rather have motorists buckle up than write them a seat belt infraction. The evidence is clear that seat belts save lives. By increasing seat belt use, Washington continues to reduce the costs incurred by those who don't buckle up," said Lowell Porter, Director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.__Statistical analysis shows that wearing a seat belt decreases the chance of dying or being seriously injured in a collision by about 70 percent, compared to an unbuckled motorist. Medical costs from vehicle collisions amount to more than $276 million each year in this state and vast sums of money have been saved by getting motorists to buckle up.__For additional information about the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, visit www.wtsc.wa.gov._