Familiar May message returns: ‘Click it or Ticket’

In darkness, people buckle up less routinely – and the consequences can be deadly. According to 2013 crash statistics in Oregon, of the 104 vehicle occupants that died in crashes at night, more than half were unrestrained.

That’s one reason law enforcement agencies from around Oregon will join in the national Click It or Ticket campaign from May 18 – 31: they’ll be watching to make sure everyone is buckled up, day or night; that child passengers are in the right restraint system; and that no one is riding illegally in the open bed of a pickup.

“Proper use of a safety belt or a child restraint system holds a person safely in place and inside the car and can prevent injury from occurring during sudden stops, swerves or a crash,” said Carla Levinski, ODOT’s Occupant Protection Program manager. “Without a safety belt or child car seat, occupants can be thrown against each other or completely out of the vehicle – and that greatly increases chances of serious injury.”

In fact, studies show child car seats reduce the likelihood of an infant under 1 year old being killed in a crash by 71 percent and the fatal risk for toddlers aged 1 to 4 by 54 percent. Overall, safety belts reduce the chance of fatal injury by 45 to 65 percent.

New van will train child safety seat technicians

That’s one reason why ODOT has partnered with Legacy Emanual’s Randall Children’s Hospital to train more people in how to properly buckle up child passengers. A refurbished van, paid for with federal funds administered by ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division, is equipped with car seats and other materials to certify technicians and educate caregivers. See the Click It fact sheet (PDF) for more information.

Buckle everyone, every trip
Most Oregonians do buckle up, most of the time. Statewide observation surveys in June 2014 found 98 percent of Oregon travelers routinely using safety belts or child car seats. Still, a recent report (PDF) by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that Oregon could have saved the lives of at least six people in 2013 if we had a 100 percent buckle up rate. See the county-by-county breakdown from 2013 (PDF).

Oregon law requires the following:

Child passengers weighing less than forty pounds must be restrained in a child seat.
Children under one year or weighing less than twenty pounds must be restrained in a rear-facing child seat.
A child over forty pounds must be restrained in either a child seat or a booster seat appropriate for her size until she reaches age eight or 4/9″ tall AND the adult belt system fits her properly.

ODOT, the Oregon State Police, the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police and the Oregon State Sheriffs Association encourage travelers to make sure everyone is buckled up properly, every trip. Note: It is illegal to ride in the back of an open pickup truck in all but a few situations . To learn more about occupant protection in Oregon, visit ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division .

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Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office release:

The Oregon Safety Belt Overtime Campaign is a statewide selective traffic enforcement program that seeks to reduce the number of motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries by increasing public awareness of laws regarding the three most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crash injuries: safety restraint use, speed, and impaired drivers.

A statewide observation survey in June 2014 found 98% of Oregon’s motoring public using safety belts.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is increasing traffic patrols during daylight hours for the purpose of enforcing seatbelt and minors riding in open pickup beds during this two week campaign. Oregon law prohibits the transport of any person under 18 years of age from riding in the open bed of a motor vehicle. Exceptions to this law are related to employment transportation and hunting and then only when all other seats in the vehicle are occupied first by other minors.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office along with the Oregon Department of Transportation encourages all drivers and passengers to make a conscious effort to use their seatbelt at all times while traveling in a motor vehicle regardless of the distance traveled. Furthermore, we encourage all drivers to drink responsibly. If drivers intend to drink, please plan ahead and use a designated driver or public transportation such as a taxi or the local bus system.

Also, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office will participate in a statewide traffic safety campaign increasing traffic patrols during the Memorial Day Weekend to focus on DUII enforcement.

The Sheriff’s Office along with the Oregon Department of Transportation encourages all drivers and passengers to make a conscious effort to use their seatbelt at all times while traveling in a motor vehicle regardless of the distance traveled. Furthermore, we encourage all drivers to drink responsibly. If drivers intend to drink, please plan ahead and use a designated driver or public transportation such as a taxi or the local bus system.

Memorial Day weekend typically marks the start of the summer vacation season. And, as warmer weather approaches, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges drivers to take the proper precautions before and while driving on the roadway.

During the summer months, there is usually an increase in the number of vehicles on the nation’s roadways. Families take to the highways for vacations and extended road trips. And while these excursions can start off as a happy occasion, they can too often result in tragedy due to negligence and failure to properly execute the necessary steps to ensure safe travel. According to NHTSA data, in 2012 there were 377 crash related fatalities during the Memorial Day holiday period. Every 51 minutes, someone in the United States dies in an alcohol-impaired-driving crash.