August 14, 2024 3:30 a.m. 

Through the end of September, Roseburg Police Department is having some extra patrols out working traffic enforcement, with a specific focus on safety belt use, distracted driving and speeding.

Sergeant Daniel Allen said seat belts have proven to be one of the best ways to save a life when a crash occurs. Allen said yet many people still don’t buckle up. Not wearing a seat belt is a habit that will pass on to impressionable youth, who in turn will think it’s safe to not buckle up.

The RPD release said distracted driving is one of the fastest growing safety issues on the roads currently. Allen said distracted drivers aren’t just a threat to themselves, they are a danger to everyone else on the road. He said the national distracted driving effort focuses on ways to change the behavior of drivers through legislation, enforcement, public awareness, and education.

Allen said residents should be on the lookout for specific enforcement campaigns over the next two months.