May 19, 2021 10:05 a.m.

Beginning Monday, deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office along with law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon will use federally funded overtime to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws, including a law passed in 2017 increasing safety for children under age two.

Sergeant Mark Norris of DCSO said “These grant dollars allow us to educate the public in hopes of reducing injury or fatal car crashes”. Norris said the goal is not to write citations, but to gain compliance with the law and ensure the safety of the motoring public in Douglas County.

Oregon Department of Transportation crash data for 2018 shows the lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 28 percent, or 86 of a total 311 vehicle occupant crashes.

The DCSO release said motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. In 2018, 1,845 children under age twelve were injured in Oregon traffic crashes. 11 percent were reported as not using a child restraint system. The release said it is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71 percent for infants under one year old and by up to 59 percent for toddlers aged one to four. Boosters seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among children age four to eight by 45 percent compared to when safety belts are used alone.

In 2017, an Oregon law was passed requiring children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. A child over age two must continue to ride in a car seat with a harness or in a booster until they reach age eight, or 4 foot 9 inches in height, and the adult belt fits them correctly.

Norris said the overtime patrols are funded with federal grant dollars administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation and enhance the number of deputies on patrol.

Click It or Ticket will continue through June 6th.