Police cite hundreds for improper use of seat belts

Hundreds of people in Snohomish County were ticketed during special seat belt patrols in late May and early June.

Between May 23 and June 5, law enforcement officers from around the county wrote 851 citations as part of the effort, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. That included 384 seat belt tickets and 151 cell phone or texting tickets, in addition to citations for speeding, aggressive driving and improper car seat use.

Statewide, the number of tickets was more than 6,600 in the same period. Almost half of those were for people not using seat belts or using them improperly.

There were no fatal collisions in the state involving unbuckled drivers in that time frame, said Trooper Keith Leary of the Washington State Patrol.

“It is very important for each driver to understand how important traffic safety is,” he said. “Those who disregard traffic laws are putting innocent lives at risk.”