Benton County Sheriff's Office Begins Seatbelt Enforcement Blitz

Oregon ranks third nationwide for seatbelt use.

Benton County Courthouse in Covallis, Ore. Photo: Tim King

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Starting Monday and running through Sunday, June 3rd, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office will participate in Oregon’s Three Flags Blitz, a statewide seatbelt enforcement blitz.

Three Flags Blitz will coincide with the nationwide “Click it or Ticket” mobilization promoted by U.S. Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Administration.

Patrol enforcement activities will focus on proper seatbelt use and minors in open pickup beds.

Grants from the Oregon Department of Transportation will help fund the 15 Benton County Sheriff’s patrol shifts during the Three Flags Blitz.

The Sheriff’s Office will concentrate their additional patrols in South Benton County.

Three Flags is an international selective traffic enforcement program, involving hundreds of law enforcement agencies in Oregon.

In Oregon during the 2006, 24,935 enforcement contacts were made for seatbelt and child restraint violations using $889,975 of federal highway traffic safety for overtime funding.

Additional enforcement contacts made during safety belt overtime for other violations included 15,235 speeding, 523 DUII, 2,420 suspensions, 558 felonies, and 27,215 other violations.

Oregon’s crash fatality and injury rates have dropped 43% since passage of the adult belt law in 1990.

“Clearly, the law along with an active enforcement program has had the desired results: fewer injuries and fatalities in crashes when seatbelts are used,” said Sheriff Diana Simpson.

In 2006, Oregonians used seatbelts use rates of 94% (front seat occupants) and 97% (all seating), making Oregon one of the top five belt-use states in the U.S. That compares to a nationwide belt use average of 81% for front seat occupants.