August Click It Or Ticket Campaign -08/20/21

Tualatin Police will be conducting a safety enforcement blitz starting August 23, 2021. The project will focus on child passenger safety. 

Tualatin Police will join with police agencies nationwide for the annual, “Click it or ticket” campaign that runs from August 23rd through September 5th. Oregon agencies will focus on educating drivers on the importance of wearing their safety belt properly each time they ride in a vehicle.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through 12 years old. In 2018, 1,832 children under 12 were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, 11% were reported not using a child restraint system. 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 non-fatal injury among four to eight year olds by 45% compared to safety belts used alone. Consistent vehicle restraint use is the single most effective way to protect motor vehicle occupants from crash injury or death, according to the US Department of Transportation. 

For safety belt systems, “proper use” means lap belt placed low across hips and shoulder belt crossing center of the chest over the collarbone. Belts should be free of slack and lying flat with no twists or knots. If the shoulder belt portion of the belt rides up onto the neck or feels uncomfortable, comfort may be increased by using the built-in adjuster or by moving seat position. The shoulder belt should NOT be placed under the arm or behind the back – this can cause serious internal injuries or ejection in a crash. 

Oregon law enforcement agencies are committed to reducing traffic crash injuries and deaths by promoting safety belt use and encouraging other safe driving behaviors through active enforcement and education.

The safety enforcement campaign is a federally funded program administered by ODOT.

Nearly one hundred state, county and city police agencies are participating in overtime grants to be used primarily during joint, statewide enforcement saturations or, “blitzes” scheduled for February, May and August. 

For help 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/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#inspection-inspectionor at https://oregonimpact.org/Child_Passenger_Safety