This coming Monday, May 24th, 2021, motorists can expect to see increased patrols on Marion County roadways as our Traffic Safety Team joins police agencies from throughout Oregon as they participate in the Click it or Ticket campaign. The increased patrols will be focused on safety belt and child seat laws and will run through Sunday, June 6th, 2021. Funding for these additional patrols are made possible through the use of federal grant dollars made available to law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. In 2018, 1,845 children under twelve were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, 11 percent were reported not using a child restraint system. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under one year old and by up to 59% for toddlers aged one to four. Booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among four to eight year olds by 45% compared to safety belts used alone.
“Our Traffic Safety Team focuses on the three E’s of traffic safety: Education, Enforcement, and Engineering. The use of federal grant dollars to gives us the opportunity to put more deputies out on roadways throughout Marion County to help educate drivers about the importance of proper seatbelt and car seat use,” said Sgt. Don Parise.
In 2018, Oregon Department of Transportation crash data showed lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 28% or 86 of a total 311 motor vehicle occupant fatalities.
For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicle owner’s manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station listed at:
