In an effort to keep King County commuters safe, extra law enforcement patrolled King County roads at night between May 23 and June 5 looking for unbuckled drivers. More than just seat belt violators were stopped and issued tickets.

During the patrols in King County, a total of 665 citations were written, including 288 seatbelt tickets, 192 cell phone and text violations, 40 speeding, and two aggressive driving infractions. Six misdemeanor warrant arrests were made in addition to 85 uninsured motorist and 24 suspended/revoked license violations issued.

“Buckling up is the simplest and most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in the car.” says Sgt. Robert Constant, Kent Police Department and South King County law enforcement liaison.

Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive and distracted drivers, Constant emphasized. He also encourages drivers to stay off their phones.

Statewide, during the patrols, law enforcement officers and the WSP wrote 6,681 tickets total, including 2,994 seatbelt violations.

Studies show that a person wearing a seatbelt has a 70 percent better chance of surviving a crash than a person who is not buckled.

The King County Target Zero Task Force, law enforcement from King County and more than 110 other police and sheriff agencies statewide worked the extra patrols, funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

For additional information, visit www.wtsc.wa.gov.