The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Joins Regional Blitz To Protect Kids And Promote Seat Belt And Car Seat Safety (Photo)
- 08/27/26
Deschutes County, Ore. — A five-point harness buckle takes seconds to click. That small habit is the difference between a close call and a tragedy. That’s why the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is joining law enforcement agencies across Central Oregon for a coordinated child passenger safety enforcement blitz through September 6.
Deputies will be watching for unbuckled and improperly restrained children to ensure they are properly secured. Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert said the goal is education and awareness, and helping families avoid tragedy.
"Our goal is not to hand out citations. It’s to make sure every family has the information they need to keep their children safe,” explained Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert. “We want families to understand the importance of car seat safety. Education helps save lives before enforcement ever does."
In 2024, Oregon recorded 103 deaths linked to a lack of seat belt or a child not being properly secured in a car seat. Those deaths made up nearly a third of all motor vehicle fatalities in the state. Statewide, 1,918 children were injured in crashes that year, and 12 percent of them were unrestrained.
The fix is proven and simple:
- Car seats improve infant crash survival by 71 percent
- Toddler survival improves by up to 59 percent with proper restraint
- Booster seats cut injury risk by 45 percent for kids ages 4–8
Oregon requires children to ride rear-facing until at least age 2, then in a car seat or booster until age 8 or 4’9” tall — whichever comes first — and until the adult seat belt fits correctly on its own (lap belt low across the hips, shoulder belt across the chest, not the neck).
For more information and to download a flyer that outlines how to properly secure child car seats, visit the Sheriff's Office website.
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The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Joins Regional Blitz To Protect Kids And Promote Seat Belt And Car Seat Safety (Photo)
- 08/27/26
Deschutes County, Ore. — A five-point harness buckle takes seconds to click. That small habit is the difference between a close call and a tragedy. That’s why the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is joining law enforcement agencies across Central Oregon for a coordinated child passenger safety enforcement blitz through September 6.
Deputies will be watching for unbuckled and improperly restrained children to ensure they are properly secured. Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert said the goal is education and awareness, and helping families avoid tragedy.
"Our goal is not to hand out citations. It’s to make sure every family has the information they need to keep their children safe,” explained Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert. “We want families to understand the importance of car seat safety. Education helps save lives before enforcement ever does."
In 2024, Oregon recorded 103 deaths linked to a lack of seat belt or a child not being properly secured in a car seat. Those deaths made up nearly a third of all motor vehicle fatalities in the state. Statewide, 1,918 children were injured in crashes that year, and 12 percent of them were unrestrained.
The fix is proven and simple:
- Car seats improve infant crash survival by 71 percent
- Toddler survival improves by up to 59 percent with proper restraint
- Booster seats cut injury risk by 45 percent for kids ages 4–8
Oregon requires children to ride rear-facing until at least age 2, then in a car seat or booster until age 8 or 4’9” tall — whichever comes first — and until the adult seat belt fits correctly on its own (lap belt low across the hips, shoulder belt across the chest, not the neck).
For more information and to download a flyer that outlines how to properly secure child car seats, visit the Sheriff's Office website.
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