Law enforcement agencies in Clallam and Jefferson counties will participate in a statewide traffic patrol emphasis to enforce seat belt use on May 20.
The event will place extra patrols in marked units for high-visibility saturation, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
Participating will be the State Patrol, Clallam and Jefferson county sheriff’s offices, and the Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend police departments.
Nineteen percent of the 52 traffic fatalities — in 51 wrecks — in Clallam and Jefferson counties during the five-year period of 2013-17 involved unrestrained vehicle occupants, according to a press release, that notes that means 10 people might not have been killed if they had been wearing their seat belts.
The highest risk factor in fatalities during that time period was impaired driving, which was one cause in 48 percent of the fatalities, according to a chart of overlapping risk factors presented by the sheriff’s office.
The next highest was running off the road, a factor in 31 percent of the fatalities. Distracted driving was one cause of 27 percent of the fatalities.
Older drivers figured in 27 percent of the deaths while young drivers were a factor in 15 percent of the cases.
Speeding was implicated in 10 percent of the deaths.
Wildlife accounted for 4 percent of the fatalities.
None were in work zones or involved school buses.
