Whether it’s daytime or nighttime, Washington drivers can avoid a $124 ticket by buckling their seat belts.

From May 23 to June 5, the Washington State Patrol and Puget Sound police departments are focusing on nighttime seat belt violations.

Federal Way police will participate in this seat belt enforcement emphasis. According to a Federal Way police spokeswoman, an officer acts as the “spotter” in looking for seat belt violations. The spotting officer then relays the vehicle’s description, license plate and other data to a partner officer located nearby. The partner officer will make the stop and issue a $124 citation. Both officers will sign the infraction.

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, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

In Washington, between 2005 and 2009, 2,866 people died in vehicle collisions and another 13,749 were seriously injured. Medical costs from vehicle collisions amount to more than $276 million each year in Washington, according to the commission.

Learn more

To view a list of all participating Washington law enforcement agencies, visit wabuckleup.com. Learn more about the Washington Traffic Safety Commission at www.wtsc.wa.gov.