February 2, 2023 10:20 a.m.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is participating with other law enforcement agencies in a Click It or Ticket seatbelt campaign which runs through February 12th.

Lieutenant Brad O’Dell said assigned deputies will specifically be looking for seat belt violations, including child restraint law violations.

O’Dell said according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2020, there were 10,893 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 58 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night, between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., were not wearing their seat belts.

O’Dell said, “Our goal is to educate members of our community about the seatbelt and child restraint laws in an attempt to prevent serious injuries and senseless deaths”.

Funding for the enhanced patrols is obtained through grants administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation.