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On Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with ODOT, will use grant-funded overtime to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws.
The goal of the Safety Belt Blitz Campaign is to save lives. While seatbelt education and enforcement will be their primary focus, deputies will also be on the lookout for speeding, distracted driving and other violations impacting traffic safety.
Among the laws deputies will be enforcing is an Oregon law passed in 2017 that requires children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least 2 years old. A child over the age of 2 can move to a front-facing car seat with a five-point harness. Once a child reaches 40 pounds, they can use a booster seat until they reach age 8 or a height of 4'9".
ODOT crash data for 2019 shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 26% (or 81) of a total 308 motor vehicle occupant fatalities.
Nationwide, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 1-12 years old. In 2019, 1,636 children under age 12 were injured in Oregon traffic crashes; 10 percent were reportedly not using a child restraint system.
It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under 1 year old and by up to 59% for toddlers ages 1-4. And booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among 4- to 8-year-olds by 45% compared to safety belts used alone.
For help selecting or installing a car seat:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#inspection-inspection
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Deputy John Wildhaber
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
Public Information Unit
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