COOS BAY, Ore. – The Coos Bay Police Department announced beginning Monday, it and other law enforcement agencies across the state will use federally funded overtime to enforce safety belt and child seat laws.
This enforcement will last through Sunday, February 11.
According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, crash data from 2021 shows a lack of safety belts or child restraints were a factor in 119 car crash fatalities.
Officials say car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for babies under one year old and up to 59% for toddlers between one and four years old. Booster seats may reduce the chance of injury among four to eight year old children by 45% compared to just using safety belts.
In 2017, Oregon passed a law requiring children to ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least two years old. A child over two must ride in a car seat with a harness or in a booster until they are eight, or 4 foot 9 inches tall.
The overtime funding for law enforcement was provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
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