Lane County Sheriff’s Office continues to use state-funded grant overtime to enforce seatbelt laws, including child safety restraint requirements. Although enforcement helps, the most important step in preventing tragedy is ensuring a child safety seat is properly installed and used every time.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 46% of child car seats are installed incorrectly. The link below provides an excellent visual guide to Oregon’s Child Restraint Laws: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Documents/ODOT_Car_Seat_Flyer_2021-English.pdf
-Statistics-
- Car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in passenger cars.
- Since 1975, child restraints have saved over 11,600 children under age 5.
- Nearly half of caregivers believe they installed seats correctly—but 46% are installed wrong.
-Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT): Child Safety Seat Requirements-
- Children must use a child safety seat until 40 lbs or until they reach the upper weight limit of the seat.
- Infants must ride rear-facing until age two, unless they turned one before May 26, 2017.
- After outgrowing a forward‑facing harness, children must use a booster seat until 4’9″ or age 8 and the adult belt fits properly.
-Rear Seating-
- Oregon law does not prohibit children from riding in the front seat.
- However, rear‑facing seats may never be used in front of an active airbag.
- National best practices recommend children ride in the back seat through age 12.
-Booster Seat Fit Test-
To determine whether a child can safely transition from a booster to a seatbelt, answer YES to all:
- Can the child sit back with knees bending naturally at the seat edge?
- Do their feet rest flat on the floor?
- Does the shoulder belt lay flat across the collarbone and chest (not the neck)?
- Does the lap belt sit low across the thighs (not the stomach)?
- Can the child maintain this position comfortably for the entire trip?
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to have a safe Holiday Weekend. So, please buckle-up and ensure every child is secured safely before your drive.
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