With many families heading out for end-of-summer road trips, it’s important to remember that buckling up correctly can make all the difference in the world. Between Aug. 24 and Sept. 6, officers with law enforcement agencies around the state will be on the lookout for those who are not using their restraint systems correctly – whether you’re on a long journey or a jaunt to the store. The extra enforcement is funded by a grant from ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division, and safety advocates remind motorists that child passengers are especially vulnerable. Last year in Oregon, six children under age 12 died in crashes, and only one of those was using a child restraint system. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 – 12 years old. Child car seats increase crash survival by 71 percent for infants under one year old and by up to 59 percent for toddlers ages 1 – 4.
Get “back to basics” for safe travels
Though recent statewide observation surveys found 98 percent of Oregon travelers using safety belts or child car seats, there are still those who don’t – and that occurs more often at night. In total for 2014 in Oregon, 61 people who died in crashes were not using any kind of restraint system. Studies show that safety belts reduce the chance of fatal injury in adults by 45 to 65 percent. Getting ‘back to basics’ means buckling up every trip, every time, day and night. And be sure to use child safety seats correctly (see your manufacturer’s guidebook, or visit a safety seat check station); that includes keeping children in booster seats until they fit correctly in an adult restraint system.
Oregon law reminder: Oregon law requires children less than forty pounds be restrained in a child seat. Children under one year or weighing less than twenty pounds must be restrained in a rear-facing child seat. A child over forty pounds must be restrained in either a child seat or a booster seat appropriate for their size until they reach age eight or 4’ 9” tall AND the adult belt system fits them correctly.
