Between May 15 and June 3, The Washington State Patrol will be teaming up with other law enforcement officers throughout Washington State to look for drivers who aren’t buckled up during the Click it or Ticket campaign. During the last three years of May Click it or Ticket emphasis patrols, 30,749 seat belt tickets have been written statewide and last May, law enforcement officers cited 10,107 non-seatbelt wearers.

The ticket for not wearing a seatbelt carries a fine of $101. In August 2001, before the primary seat belt law went into effect, approximately 83 percent of drivers wore seatbelts. Thankfully, today we have the second highest seatbelt compliance rates in the nation (95.2%). Studies show that seat belts reduce serious injuries by 69 percent and deaths by 45 percent - 70 percent.

After the adoption of the Click it or Ticket project and the primary enforcement seat belt law, the vehicle occupant death number dropped from 517 in 2002 to 419 in 2004 – nearly 100 lives were saved due to increases in seat belt use. Traffic safety officials estimate that for every fatality avoided, about four serious injuries are avoided as well.

“The evidence is overwhelming that seatbelts save lives,” explained WSP Chief John R. Batiste.  “Our ultimate goal is to save lives, and we hope that our renewed effort to remind drivers in Washington to buckle up will reduce the injuries and fatalities on our roadways.”