Salem Police Participating In Traffic Safety Campaign

Increased awareness is important all year long.

Photo courtesy: harrispersonalinjury.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Salem Police Department is participating in the third of three traffic enforcement campaigns. The campaign began on August 24 and will run through September 6.

The increased patrols are during the daylight hours for the purpose of enforcing seatbelt, child restraint violations and cell phone use.

The overtime patrols will be funded by the Oregon Safety Belt Overtime Campaign, a statewide selective traffic enforcement program that uses Federal funding from the US Department of Transportation.

The goal of the campaign is to reduce the number of motor vehicle related deaths and injuries by increasing the public awareness of laws regarding the three most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crash injuries: safety restraint use, speed, and impaired drivers.

A statewide observation survey in June 2014 found 98% percent of Oregon's motoring public routinely using safety belts. However, ODOT crash data revealed a seatbelt use rate of only 62% among those killed in crashes last year.

Among those killed or injured were 938 child passengers under the age of eight and a third of these were riding unrestrained or in the wrong type of safety restraint for their size.

Child car seats reduce the likelihood of infants under 1 year old of being killed in a crash by 71% and the fatal risk for toddlers aged 1 to 4 by 54%.

The Salem Police Department along with the Oregon Department of Transportation encourages all drivers and passengers to make a conscious effort to use their safety belts at all times when traveling in a motor vehicle, regardless of the distance traveled.

We are also encouraging the proper use of child safety seats and restraints.

For assistance with child seats, refer to the seat manufacturer's instructions, vehicle owner's manual, or your local child seat fitting station. A list of fitting stations can be found at: http://www.nhtsa.gov/apps/cps/index.htm or at http://oregonimpact.org/car-seat-resources/

Source: Salem Police Dept