Tualatin Police to Participate in Safety Belt Blitz

The City of Tualatin, Oregon Official Website

Tualatin Police will be conducting a safety enforcement blitz starting August 27, 2012. The project will focus on proper use of child safety seats as well as vehicles driving the speed limit. 

Tualatin Police will join with police agencies nationwide for the annual, “Click it or ticket” campaign that runs from August 27th through September 9th.   Oregon agencies will focus on educating drivers on the importance of proper use of child safety seats for infants and toddlers and booster seats for children aged 4-8.  Child safety seats reduce the likelihood of infants under 1 year old being killed in a crash by 71% and the fatal risk for toddlers aged 1 to 4 by 54%.  Unfortunately, among 4-8 year olds, booster seat use was observed to be only 60% and half of the children in this age group killed or injured in crashes last year were not using boosters.

Consistent safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, according to the US Department of Transportation.

“Proper use” is required by Oregon law and means using the entire belt system, lap belt low across hips, and shoulder belt over the collarbone and crossing the center of the chest.  Belts should be free of slack and lying flat with no twists or knots.            

Oregon’s Three Flags Campaign is 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 through the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, Oregon Association Chiefs of Police and OSP Patrol Services.

Nearly one hundred state, county and city police agencies are participating in overtime grants to be used primarily during joint, statewide enforcement saturations or, “blitzes” scheduled for February, May and September. 

For more information on the, “Click it or Ticket” program please visit the following web pages, www.nhtsa.dot.gov/  or

www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/safetybelts.shtml