Crook County SO joins seat belt, car seat enforcement blitz

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office is joining other law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon in a nationwide safety belt and child car seat traffic enforcement “blitz” from Monday, February 5 through Sunday, February 18.

This enhanced safety belt enforcement is provided through overtime funding from the USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federally funded overtime is used to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws.

This enforcement focuses on proper use of safety belts and child restraints. Properly using safety belts and child restraints holds a person safely in place and inside the car to prevent injury from occurring during sudden stops, swerves or a crash. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause nationwide of death for children ages one through twelve years old.

For help 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: http://www.nhtsa.gov/apps/cps/index.htm or at http://oregonimpact.org/car-seat-resources/

Product recalls related to your vehicle’s safety belt or your child’s safety seat is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.gov/ or check with the product manufacturer.

The Prineville Police Department also is taking part in the enhanced enforcement provided through overtime funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation and the USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The enforcement focuses on proper use of seat belts, child safety seats, texting while driving and speeding, said Prineville Police Officer Kathryn Bottoms.