The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies, will be participating in extra patrol and enforcement with an emphasis on seatbelts/child restraints, texting, and speed between Feb. 10-23.
This safety blitz is funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and run in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign.
Studies show safety belts reduce fatality risk by 45 to 60 percent. Child safety seats reduce fatality risk for infants under 1 year old by 71 percent and for toddlers aged 1 to 4 years old by 54 percent. And yet, 31% or 61 of Oregon’s 198 occupant fatalities in 2012 were reportedly unrestrained. ODOT estimates that approximately half of these fatalities could have been avoided with proper restraint use. In 2012, Umatilla County had 32 children injured in traffic crashes, with one resulting in death.
Traffic studies continue to show unbelted or improperly restrained occupants are five times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle than occupants who are belted properly. Odds of surviving being ejected from a vehicle are estimated to be one in four.
On Jan. 1, the Oregon Revised Statute concerning operating a motor vehicle while using a mobile communication device (ORS 811.507) was upgraded from a Class D to a Class C violation, increasing the base fine from $110 to $160.
Failure to properly maintain a vehicle’s safety belt is also a Class C violation, while failing to wear a safety belt is a Class D violation.
