The Eugene Police Department is planning to crack down this week on travelers who aren’t following Oregon seat belt laws.
The increased enforcement effort is set to begin Jan. 31 as part of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s “Click it or Ticket” campaign. In Oregon, every occupant of a vehicle, regardless of age or seating position, is supposed to use a safety restraint.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of car crashes in the United States increased 16% to nearly 16,5000 wrecks a day from 2020 to 2021.
There were 42,939 Americans who died in car crashes in 2021, according to the latest NHTSA statistics. Most of the deaths involved intoxicated or unrestrained drivers traveling above the speed limit.
Officers plan to take a “no-excuses approach” to seat belt law enforcement and write citations “day and night”, according to a department release.
In Eugene, seat belt and proper child safety restraint enforcement will continue through Feb. 11. The presumptive fine for a seat belt violation is $200.