Safety Belt Enforcement Blitz

Now through Sunday, February 9th, law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon will use federally funded enforcement hours to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws including a law passed in 2017 increasing safety for children under age two. FARS crash data for 2022 shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 31% or 108 of a total 346 motor vehicle occupant fatalities in Oregon.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. In 2022, 1,697 children under twelve were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, 16 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.

Of the 25,420 passenger vehicle occupants killed in the United States in 2022, 50% were not wearing seat belts. In 2017 an Oregon law was passed requiring children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. A child over age two must continue to ride in a car seat with harness or in a booster until they reach age eight or 4’ 9” in height and the adult belt fits them correctly. The 2017 law, which extends the rear-facing requirement from the previous age one to age two, will better protect the child’s head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries. This is because a rear-facing seat spreads crash forces evenly across the seat and child’s body while also limiting forward or sideways motion of the head.

Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected from a vehicle is almost always deadly. 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: https://www.nhtsa.gov/equi.../car-seats-and-booster-seats....