Oregon Safety Belt Campaign Beginning August 21, 2017

Tualatin Police will be conducting a safety enforcement blitz starting August 21, 2017. The project will focus on proper safety belt use including child seat use, texting while driving, and speeding. 

Beginning Monday, August 21 and extending through Sunday, September 3, law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon will use federally funded overtime to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws including a newly passed law increasing safety for children under age two.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old.  In 2015, 1353 children under age nine were injured in Oregon traffic crashes and six children died.  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.

A new Oregon law for children under age two requires they use a child seat with harness in a rear-facing position, unless the child turned one year of age prior to May 26, 2017.  A child over age two or who turned one year of age prior to May 26, 2017, must continue to ride in a car seat with a harness or in a booster until they reach age eight or 4’9” in height and the adult belt fits them correctly.

The new 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.  Research has shown that children in the second year of life are five times less likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash if they ride rear-facing.  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. 

Oregon law enforcement agencies are committed to reducing traffic crash injuries and deaths by promoting safety belt use and encouraging other safe driving behaviors through active enforcement and education.

The safety enforcement campaign is a federally funded program administered by ODOT.