Officers from the Coos Bay Police Department will join law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon in a Safety Belt Enforcement Campaign from August 24th to September 6th. This is the third of three scheduled safety belt and traffic safety campaigns for 2015. The focus of the program is to increase public awareness of the seatbelt laws with the goal of reducing traffic injuries and deaths. Members of the Coos Bay Police Department will take to the road during this campaign to focus their attention on seatbelt violations and child safety seat violations; but they will also be watching for drivers who are speeding, using cell phones, or driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Oregon law requires that there be “proper use” of the entire seatbelt system; lap belt placed low across the hips and a 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. If necessary, slide the attachment on the door post up or down to fit the size of you or your passenger. Shoulder belts should not be placed under the arm or behind the back as this can cause serious internal injuries or ejection in the event of a crash. Statewide observation surveys in June 2015 found 98% percent of Oregon travelers routinely using safety belts or child car seats. Not surprisingly, belt use was lower among persons killed in crashes — 75% among all crash fatalities and only 50% among persons killed in night time crashes, according to ODOT reports. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. Child car seats reduce the likelihood of being killed in a crash by percent for infants under 1 year old and by up to 59 percent for toddlers aged 1 to 4. Safety belts reduce the chance of fatal injury to adults by 45 to 65 percent. Properly using safety belts and child restraints holds a person safely in place and inside the vehicle to prevent injury from occurring during sudden stops, swerves or a crash. Without a safety belt or child car seat, occupants can be thrown against each other, the interior of the car or completely out of the vehicle which greatly increases chances of serious injury. Oregon law requires children less than forty pounds 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 their size until they reach age eight or 4’ 9” tall AND the adult belt system fits them correctly. For help with child car seats, refer to the seat manufacturer’s instructions, vehicle owner’s manual, or visit your local child seat fitting station. A list of fitting stations can be found at: http://www.nhtsa.gov/apps/cps/index.htm or at http://oregonimpact.org/car-seat-resources/
