Extra seat belt police patrols begin today

GRANT COUNTY — The “All Hands on Deck” nighttime seat belt emphasis patrols begin today with Grant County law enforcement participating.

The Ephrata Police Department and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office are providing additional patrols at night to ensure drivers are wearing their seat belts, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

The effort is done with assistance from the Central Basin Traffic Safety Task Force. The extra patrols run through June 7.

The chances of a collision are four times higher during the night even though the traffic volume is higher during the day, the safety commission reports.

“Unbuckled drivers are more likely to be male, have less education, have numerous traffic violations on their records (DUI, running red lights, following too closely, speeding) and have no health insurance,” according to the safety commission. “The number of unbelted drivers without health insurance was higher by a ratio of two to one, compared to belted drivers.”

On Friday between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., an aerial message will be displayed over Moses Lake.

The message is displayed on a banner flown over the city reminding drivers to use their seat belts.