Local law enforcement will keep up the pressure on seat belt violators even though a state study shows more drivers and passengers are complying with state safety laws.

The survey, conducted by the University of Albany's Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research found that number of drivers complying with seat belt laws increased to 89 percent so far in 2008, up 6 percentage points from 2007.

But Auburn Police Department's Deputy Chief Thomas Murphy said there was still more work that needed to be done.

"Compliance has gone up, however there is still a significant amount of drivers who fail to wear their seat belts on a regular basis," Murphy said. "We will continue our aggressive seat belt campaign to enhance compliance with all of our vehicle traffic laws."

During the "Buckle Up New York - Click It or Ticket" campaign, which ran from May 19 to June 1, law enforcement agencies all across the state issued 49,301 tickets for seat belt violations and 3,097 for child restraint violations.

Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould said the campaign appeared to be working since fewer tickets had been issued by his office.

"Seat belts truly do save lives, hundreds or thousands of lives throughout New York," Gould said. "I think people are realizing that because of TV ads and campaigns."