Seatbelt Enforcement Quotas?

The Washington State Patrol says it's working because it's getting harder to find offenders. "We are very passionate about it primarily because our main mission is to save lives," says WSP Captain Les Young.

A new television public service announcement starts airing Monday to remind drivers the new month-long "Click It Or Ticket" campaign starts May 19th.

"It's just not a good enough reason to be handing out citations," says seatbelt law opponent Dan Goebel.

Goebel is one of the sponsors of Initiative 836 which would repeal the seatbelt law. He says law enforcement is too passionate because the officers know federal grant money is at stake.

"I am totally against the federal government funding this program," says Goebel. "Personally, I think it would be a good way to save federal dollars."

Officers work overtime during the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, looking for any kind of traffic offender. Their overtime is paid for with federal grant dollars. But to get the O.T. money officers have to make contact with at least 3 traffic violators every hour.

Goebel calls that a quota.

"We don't see it as a quota, we see it as a performance standard, as getting some bang for our buck," says Angie Ward of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. She manages the state's "Click It Or Ticket" campaign.

Ward says officers must make three contacts an hour but that doesn't mean writing three tickets.

Lt. Young admits although it's at the officer's discretion their goal is to be diligent. "All it takes is for anyone to be at a scene of a fatality collision to understand very quickly how important it is that you buckle up."