Mid-Columbia Click It or Ticket Citations Nearly Double over 2013

According to the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission,  we're spending less time on our phones, but fewer of us are buckling up.

Julie Furlong of the WSTSC released results Wednesday of the most recent Click It or Ticket patrols, and nearly twice as many motorists were cited for no seat belt.

The patrols, held between May 19th and June 1st, nabbed 136 Mid-Columbians for not hearing safety belts in Benton and Franklin Counties, compared with 72 the same period in 2013.  However, the number of drivers cited for using their cellphone stayed the same, 43.

128 speeders were ticketed, 43 uninsured drivers cited, and 23 drivers caught with suspended or revoked licenses.

Another bit of good news, though,  only ONE DUI was issued during this patrol.   These sweeps are part of Target Zero, a plan by the WSTSC to reduce traffic deaths in our state to -0- by the year 2030.