NEWS RELEASE

Holiday Travelers: Buckle Up Before You Go
Click it or Ticket at Nighttime Returns November 17 through December 7

This is a sample of localized news releases distributed statewide - customized by location.

November 5, 2008

Whatcom County - With the fast approaching holidays, we are all in a hurry to get where we need to go, and often that means getting in the car and driving before buckling up, or buckling improperly. Law enforcement officers consistently report stopping numbers of drivers who wear their shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back, which is unsafe and results in a $124 ticket.

“It’s important to remember that improperly worn seat belts, such as a shoulder belt placed behind your back, provides little protection if you are in a crash. Seat belts when secured and properly adjusted reduce injuries and save lives,” said Lowell Porter, Director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “This especially important as we work to have a safer holiday season than we did in 2007.”

Research shows that seat belts, when used correctly, can reduce the risk of injury and death by about 70%.

That is why approximately 60 police and sheriff agencies will be out statewide during the holidays for extra seat belt-focused patrols during the nighttime hours. The patrols will take place between November 17 and December 7, 2008.

Participating in these patrols in Whatcom County, are the Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden Police Departments, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Patrol.

These extra seat belt-focused law enforcement patrols are supported by the Whatcom County Traffic Safety Task Force and are federally funded through the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

While it is true that Washington State has one of the highest seat belt use rates in the country at 96.4 percent, it is also true that there are approximately four percent, or more than 237,000 Washington drivers or passengers who are still driving unbelted and even more who are driving improperly buckled. Many of these drivers also found to have numerous other violations on their records such as DUI, felony warrants, suspended or revoked licenses and driving without insurance. As well, during these seat belt patrols, other serious violators such as aggressive drivers, speeders and those running red lights are stopped and cited.

In total, from 2001 through 2007, 3,247 vehicle occupant deaths resulted from Washington traffic crashes; 1,569 (49%) occurred during the day (from 6:00 am to 5:59 pm), and 1,649 (51%) occurred at night (from 6:00 pm to 5:59 am). Though the number of people killed at night is about the same as the number of people killed during the day, the death rate at night is four times higher because traffic volumes are much lower at night.