November 16, 2020 3:25 a.m.

Through November 29th, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is participating in the Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign, along with other agencies from around Oregon.

Sergeant Brad O’Dell said DCSO has received federal grant dollars, administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation, to enhance patrols specifically for the enforcement and education of Oregon’s seatbelt and child restraint system laws. O’Dell said enforcement patrols will take place throughout the county.

Sergeant Mark Norris said citations may be issued during the campaign but that is not the primary focus. Norris said, “Our primary goal is to gain compliance with the law and to ensure the safety of everyone on the road. This is all about safety”.

O’Dell said 2018 statistics compiled by ODOT indicate the lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 28 percent of motor vehicle occupant fatalities. Additionally, the leading cause of death in children ages one through twelve nationwide is motor vehicle crashes. In 2018, 1,832 children under age 12 were injured in a vehicle crash. Of those injured, 11 percent were reportedly not utilizing a child restraint system. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71 percent for infants under age one and by up to 59 percent for toddlers ages one to four. Booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among children ages four to eight years old by 45 percent, compared to safety belts used alone.

O’Dell said an Oregon law passed in 2017 requires children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. Any child over two years of age must continue to ride in a car seat with a harness or in a booster until they reach the age of eight or are 4 feet 9 inches in height, and the adult belt fits them correctly.