Beginning Monday, May 19th, 2014 and running through Sunday June 1st, 2014, Patrol Deputies from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office will be spending extra hours on the County roadways conducting seat belt enforcement. This blitz is in conjunction with other state and local law enforcement agencies patrolling the highways in Oregon during this time period. This is the second of three annual traffic enforcement “blitzes” dedicated to proper safety belt and child restraint use. Oregon law requires “proper use” of restraints, meaning use of the entire belt system or child restraint as intended by the manufacturer. For safety belt systems, “proper use” means lap belt placed low across hips and shoulder belt crossing center of the chest over the collarbone. Belts should be free of slack and lying flat with no twists or knots. If the shoulder belt portion of the belt rides up onto the neck or feels uncomfortable, comfort may be increased by using the built-in adjuster or by moving seat position. The shoulder belt should NOT be placed under the arm or behind the back – this can cause serious internal injuries or ejection in a crash. The greatest danger to unbelted children and adult occupants is ejection from the vehicle. Unbelted or improperly restrained occupants are five times more likely to be ejected than one who is belted. They can also slam into other passengers and injure them during a crash or sharp swerve. Odds of surviving ejection are estimated at one in four. (Compare this to a one in two hundred fatality rate for occupants who remain inside the vehicle.) Ejection is the principal reason that minors are prohibited from riding in an open bed of a pickup truck. Consistent vehicle restraint use is the single most effective way to protect motor vehicle occupants from crash injury or death, according to the US Department of Transportation. Please help us help you. Buckle up for safety.
