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@MCSOInTheKnow
Beginning Monday, May 14th and carrying through May 27th, deputies with the Marion County Sheriff's Office Traffic Safety Team will begin extra patrols focusing on motorists who are not wearing their seat belts. This year MCSO, in partnership with the Oregon State Sheriff's Association and the Oregon Department of Transportation, is especially focusing on child safety restraints.
In 2016, 1,582 children under age nine were injured in Oregon traffic crashes and five children died. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under one year old and by up to 59% for toddlers aged one to four. Booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among four to eight year olds by 45% compared to safety belts used alone.
A new Oregon law requires children to remain in a rear-facing child seat until they reach the age of two. Research has shown that children in the second year of life are five times less likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash if they ride rear-facing. For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicle owner’s manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station listed at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/apps/cps/index.htm or at http://www.oregonimpact.org/car-seat-resources.htm