News brief: ‘Click it or ticket’ includes buckling up kids

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Now might be a good time to brush up on properly restraining children when they ride in motor vehicles.

Beginning on Monday, law enforcement officers around Lewis County will participate in extra patrols focusing on seatbelt safety especially regarding youngsters, with the support of the Lewis County DUI Traffic Safety Task Force.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional deaths among children in the United States, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Between 2010 and 2012, in Washington, 26 child passengers age 12 and younger 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, as dictated by Washington state law, according to a news release from the WTSC.

For example, children under the age of 13 are required to ride in the back seat.

The emphasis patrols involve the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Patrol and police departments in Centralia, Chehalis, Morton, Toledo and Winlock. The current campaign goes until the end of May.

For more information about child passenger safety, check out the law here

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2 Responses to “News brief: ‘Click it or ticket’ includes buckling up kids”

  1. Free Air says:

    So, the cop is responsible if the prisioner undoes their seat belt while going to jail?

    Cite the prisioner for not wearing it, not the cop.

  2. The Sleeping Giant says:

    Will the cops be setting good examples by wearing their seat belts to and making sure prisoners are belted in too. After all a patrol car just struck an elk and the prisoner was hurt because he was not belted in. Lead by example