News Release from: Gresham Police Dept
"CLICK IT OR TICKET" SEAT BELT ENFORCEMENT BLITZ
Posted: May 19th, 2012 10:58 AM
RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2012
CONTACT PERSON: Officer John Rasmussen, Public Information Officer
Gresham Police Traffic Division will be conducting enhanced patrols throughout Gresham from Monday, May 21, through Sunday, June 3, with the expressed purpose of vehicle occupant safety enforcement. The selective traffic enforcement "Click It or Ticket" program is funded by grant monies from Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and run in conjunction with the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign. Continuing to educate the public regarding safety belt and child safety seat laws will be the focus of this year's activities.
Recent statistics show that since the inception of Oregon's 1990 adult safety belt law, statewide crash fatality and injury rates have dropped 61% and 37% respectively. The passage and enforcement of this law is directly attributed to Oregonian's increased seat belt usage during the 22 year period, from 50% to 97%; ranking Oregon third highest in seat belt usage among all US states. The national seat belt use average is 85%.
ODOT provides the following safety belt reminders:
ADULT BELT LAW
Oregon law requires that all motor vehicle operators and passengers be properly secured with a safety belt or safety harness. Limited exemptions are allowed under ORS 811.215. Vehicle owners are required to maintain belt systems in working order.
CHILD RESTRAINT LAW
Child passengers must be restrained in approved child safety seats until they weigh 40 pounds or reach the upper weight limit for the car seat in use. Infants must ride rear-facing until they reach both one year of age and 20 pounds.
BOOSTER SEAT LAW
Children more than 40 pounds or who have reached the upper weight limit for their forward-facing car seat must use boosters until they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall or age eight and the adult belt fits correctly.
(More information regarding seat belt safety can be found at www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/safetybelts.shtml.)
Gresham police continue to encourage motorists to buckle up, slow down and drive safely. Avoid the inconvenience of a $110 traffic fine or the avoidable heartache of an injured or lost loved one due to an improperly belted occupant. If you fail to click it, the police will ticket.
###
Replies to this message do not go back to the sender.
Go to http://FlashAlert.net/login.html to change or delete these messages.
