By the Gazette-Times | Posted: Sunday, May 17, 2009 12:00 am
Oregon law enforcement agencies including the Benton County Sheriff's Office will be working overtime to monitor safety belt use during the national "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which begins Monday and runs through May 31.
Patrol deputies with the Benton County Sheriff's Office will work overtime as part of the campaign.
The overtime pay will be covered by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It was awarded to the Benton Sheriff's Office by the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association.
Deputies will focus on the enforcement of seat belt laws, including child restraints and booster seats. By law, children 6 years of age and under and weighing 60 pounds or less must be in a safety seat.
Deputies also will focus on speed laws and other traffic violations.
In 2007, not wearing a safety belt was a major factor in half of Oregon's 452 fatalities, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The fine for not wearing a seat belt is $97.
"Click It or Ticket" is a national traffic enforcement mobilization funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through ODOT's Safety Division.
For more information about traffic safety, see www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/safetybelts.shtml.