The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced on Apr. 30 that it will increase patrols as part of the annual Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs from May 18 to May 31. The campaign aims to remind travelers in Moreno Valley and throughout Riverside County to always use seat belts and secure children in appropriate car seats.
The effort comes as traffic safety officials seek to reduce fatalities and injuries caused by unrestrained occupants in vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 10,000 people nationwide were killed in crashes in 2023 while not wearing a seat belt. In California alone, there were 780 unrestrained fatalities last year, including the deaths of 24 children.
Sergeant Marcos Acosta said, “Our priority is protecting the people in our community. Wearing a seat belt or properly securing children in car seats or a booster seat gives everyone a better chance of surviving a crash.” Acosta added, “We want every trip – short or long – to end safely, so please buckle up, every time.”
California law requires all children under two years old to ride in rear-facing car seats unless they meet certain weight or height thresholds. Children under eight must be secured in an appropriate child safety or booster seat and may not ride up front unless no suitable rear seating is available. Older children who are at least four feet nine inches tall can use booster seats but must wear properly fitted safety belts at minimum.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged by authorities to keep their children secured using rear- or forward-facing seats for as long as possible and apply the “Five-Step Test” before transitioning them out of booster seats.
Funding for this enforcement program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
