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Coachella, Calif. – The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reminds everyone taking a trip to visit friends or family over the Memorial Day Weekend to always buckle up and keep children in child safety seats.

This year’s Click it or Ticket campaign is from May 23-June 5. During this time, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will have additional officers on patrol actively looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This includes vehicles where children are not secured in child safety seats.

“Wearing a seat belt should be an automatic for all drivers and passengers,” Sgt. Matos said. “It’s the safe thing to do, especially when it comes to securing children in child safety seats.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,893 people killed in crashes throughout the country in 2020 were not wearing seat belts. In California, 756 people killed in crashes in 2020 were not wearing seat belts, or nearly 20 percent of all traffic deaths in the state.

California law requires a child to be secured in a safety or booster seat until they are at least 8 or at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Children under the age of 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

California has a primary seat belt law, which allows law enforcement officers to ticket someone for not wearing a seat belt without committing another traffic violation.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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This year’s Click it or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign is from Nov. 16-29. During this time, the Moreno Valley Station will have additional deputies on patrol looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This includes drivers who do not properly secure children in child safety seats.

While the seat belt use rate in California was 96% last year, there has been a noted drop in seat belt use by back seat passengers. A recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) found only 76% of rear seat passengers wore seat belts.

“Wearing a seat belt is your best defense on the road,” Sergeant Bryan De Loss said. “It only takes a few seconds and helps keep you and your family safe.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts saved nearly 15,000 lives of people ages five and older in 2017.

The fine for a seat belt violation is $162. California law requires a child be properly secured in a safety seat in the second row of a vehicle, when available, until they are at least 8 years of age. Children under the age of 2 must ride rear-facing or until they reach 40 pounds or 40 inches in height.

California has a primary seat belt law, which allows law enforcement officers to ticket someone for not wearing a seat belt without committing another traffic violation.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Office of Traffic Safety – “Click It Or Ticket” Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.