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Safety Belt and Child Restraint

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Safety Belt and Child Restraint Violations
Important Information About Safety Belts and Child Restraint Devices

The "Three Flags Campaign" is a multi-jurisdictional approach to help ensure motorists respect and obey these lifesaving laws. Throughout the year, participating law enforcement agencies in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon embark on an enforcement campaign to bring attention to the seat belt laws.

You or your child, friend or loved one is 20 times more likely to die in a crash if riding unrestrained by a safety belt or child restraint device. Remember, buckle up children 12 and under in the BACK SEAT to avoid possible injury from airbags and for maximum safety in any collision.

Tigard Police participate in the Three Flags Campaign each year. Check here for an up to date list of traffic enforcement dates and locations in Tigard.

Tigard motorists can expect officers observing whether seat belts and child restraint devices are present and in use. The "enforcement" campaign goals are to increase awareness and ensure their use. Drivers are responsible for seeing to it that their passengers are properly restrained. A driver can be cited for a passenger not wearing their seat belt, as can the passenger if they're over the age of 16. SEAT BELTS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE AS DESCRIBED BELOW.

Your cooperation in this effort to save lives on our roads is appreciated. For more information about safety belts and child restraints, please refer to the "10 Tips for Buckling Up" below.

Top 10 Tips for Buckling Up

TIP 1	Always buckle up, no matter how short the trip. Three out of four crashes occur within 25 miles of the driver's home. And remember, buckling up is required by law.
TIP 2	Make wearing safety belts a family policy. This will protect your loved ones no matter whose vehicle they are in.
TIP 3	Insist that anyone riding in your vehicle buckle up. This will keep others safe when they're with you, and may get them in the habit of wearing a safety belt.
TIP 4	Wear your safety belt properly. That means the shoulder harness is worn over the shoulder, not under the arm or behind the back. Do NOT place two people in one belt. The lap belt should be positioned as low as possible across the tops of the thighs, NOT over the soft part of the abdomen. Both portions must be worn where provided, in order to comply with Oregon Law (ORS 811.210) The law also requires owners maintain belts in working order.
TIP 5	Even if your vehicle has airbags, wear your safety belt. Airbags are Supplemental Restraint Systems. That means they work with safety belts, not in place of them.
TIP 6	Never hold a child in your arms in a moving vehicle. In a crash, the child will likely be pulled from your arms and can be crushed by your body.
TIP 7	Always place small children in an approved child safety seat in the back seat. Oregon law requires drivers to secure children under age 4 and weighing less than 40 pounds in a child safety seat. Beginning January 1, 2002, children over 4 but under 6 years of age or children weighing between 40 and 60 pounds must be secured with a booster seat. Children over 6 years and 60 pounds need a booster seat until lap-shoulder belts fit correctly without one.
TIP 8	Look for the FMVSS-213 label when you buy a child safety seat. That label means the seat has passed U.S. Department of Transportation safety standards. If you don't see the FMVSS-213 label, don't buy the seat.
TIP 9	Even if a child resists, use a safety seat. You wouldn't let a small child decide whether to cross a busy street and you must not let a child decide how to ride in a car.
TIP 10	Follow the manufacturer's instructions for safety seat use. Read and heed the owner's manual to assure proper use of a child safety seat. For more information on child safety seats, contact Oregon's Child Safety Seat Resource Center @ 1-800-772-1315.