‘Click It or Ticket’ includes buckling up children

Published 11:54 am Friday, May 22, 2015

This year’s annual statewide “Click It or Ticket” campaign takes place through May 31. During these dates, motorists in Washington can expect to see extra seat belt patrols, which include an emphasis on children who are not properly restrained.

In Clallam County, the Port Angeles and Sequim Police Departments, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol will be teaming up and participating in the extra patrols, with the support of the Clallam County DUI Target Zero Task Force.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional deaths among children in the United States. Between 2010-2012, 26 child passengers age 12 and younger in Washington died and another 122 were seriously injured as a result of traffic crashes.

The majority of these tragedies likely could have been avoided had these children been properly restrained, traffic commissioner officials say, as dictated by state law.

Cesi Velez, project manager for Washington Child Passenger Safety, explained, “Washington State law requires child passengers to be properly restrained until the motor vehicle safety belt fits properly. It also requires children under the age of 13 to ride in the back seat. Seems simple enough, yet car and booster seats can be very confusing.”

For more information about child passenger safety in Washington, visit washingtonCPS.com.

All extra patrols are part of Target Zero—striving to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in Washington by 2030. For more information, visit www.targetzero.com. Additional information on the Washington Traffic Safety Commission can be found at www.wtsc.wa.gov.