Californians Encouraged To Buckle Up On Every Trip

Press release from the Livermore Police Department:

May 23, 2021

Livermore, Calif. – The Livermore Police Department encourages the public to
wear a seat belt and keep children secured in child safety seats.

This year’s Click it or Ticket campaign is from May 24-June 6. During this time, the
Livermore Police Department will actively look for drivers and passengers who
are not wearing a seat belt. This includes drivers who do not secure children in
child safety seats.

“Wearing a seat belt is the easiest and safest way to protect yourself in a
vehicle,” Livermore Police Lieutenant Mike Trudeau said. “It only takes a few
seconds and is your best defense in the event of a crash.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of
the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 43% (9,466) were not
wearing seat belts. In 2019, 620 passengers killed in crashes across California
were not wearing a seat belt.

California law requires a child to be properly secured in a car or booster seat in
the back seat, until they are at least 8 years of age or at least 4’9” tall. Children
under the age of 2 shall ride in a rear-facing seat unless 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.

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

This press release was produced by the Livermore Police Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.