PPB and Partner Agencies Encourage Drivers to Buckle Up

Beginning Monday, January 26, 2026, and extending through Sunday, February 8, 2026, the Portland Police Bureau with join law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon in using federally funded enforcement hours to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws including a law passed in 2017 increasing safety for children under age two.

Seatbelts Save Lives

Of the 25,420 passenger vehicle occupants killed in the United States in 2022, nearly 50% of those killed were not buckled.

ORS 811.210 - Failure to properly use safety belts; penalty is a Class-D violation.

Child Passenger Safety

Child Passenger Safety Week is September 20-26, 2026. Just like drivers check their vehicle's oil and tires, everyone who drives children needs to check their car seats to make sure they're appropriate for your child's age and size. Sometimes as parents, we don't know what we don't know. Even for experienced parents who think their children are all set, Child Passenger Safety Week is a great time to double-check. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be holding public events in communities nationwide where parents can get their car seats checked for free. Let's work together to keep our children safe.

PPB and OHSU produced a video on how to properly secure kids while they're riding in vehicles.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. In 2023, 1,972 children under twelve were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, 11 percent were reported not using a child restraint system. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under one year old and by up to 59% for toddlers aged one to four. Booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among four- to eight-year-olds by 45% compared to safety belts used alone.

Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) crash data for 2023 shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 30% or 111 of a total 365 motor vehicle occupant fatalities in Oregon.

In 2017 an Oregon law was passed requiring children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. A child over age two must continue to ride in a car seat with harness or in a booster until they reach age eight or 4' 9" in height and the adult belt fits them correctly.

The 2017 law, which extends the rear-facing requirement from the previous age of one to age two, will better protect the child's head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries. This is because a rear-facing seat spreads crash forces evenly across the seat and child's body while also limiting forward or sideways motion of the head.

For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer's instructions, your vehicle owner's manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station listed here.

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