Several local police departments began taking part Monday in the latest nationwide seat belt enforcement campaign called "Border to Border," which is set to last through June 5.

In Stonington, police will partner with Westerly police and Connecticut and Rhode Island state police to focus on seat belt enforcement along their border on Route 1 at the Pawcatuck River Bridge.

According to a news release, police kicked off the campaign at 6 p.m. Monday because data shows that those who died in car accidents in 2014 were less likely between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to have been wearing seat belts.

Stonington police, the release noted, will be writing tickets for those who are unrestrained regardless of whether it's day or night.

Norwich police also will be participating in the campaign. In addition, they'll be conducting drunken-driving enforcement patrols and sobriety checkpoints from Thursday through Memorial Day weekend.

Over the past five years, Connecticut's seat belt compliance rate has been dropping, according to the state Department of Transportation.

While five years ago its rate was 88.2 percent — higher than the 85 percent national average at the time — last year it was 85.4 percent, compared to a national compliance rate of 88.5 percent.

According to the DOT, 72 people who died in car crashes in 2015 could have been saved if they were wearing a seat belt.

"Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater," state DOT Commissioner James Redeker said in a news release. "We want to make this the safest summer possible. Buckling up is not optional; it's the difference between life and death in a crash."