The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Perris Station, is reminding Californians to always buckle up and ensure children are secured in the appropriate car seats during their Memorial Day travels. The reminder comes as part of this year's "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which runs from May 20 to June 2.
During the campaign period, additional officers from the Perris Sheriff’s Station will be on patrol, actively looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This also includes vehicles where children are not secured in child safety seats or the correct safety seats for their age.
“Wearing a seat belt should be automatic for all drivers and passengers every trip,” said Sergeant Jeremy Bracey. “Seat belts save lives, and everyone – front seat and back, child and adult – needs to remember always to buckle up.”
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 12,000 people killed in crashes throughout the country in 2021 were not wearing seat belts. In California alone, 878 people killed in crashes in 2021 were not wearing seat belts, marking an increase of 12.3 percent from 2020.
California law mandates that a child must be secured in a safety or booster seat until they are at least 8 years old or at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Children under the age of 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is over 40 inches tall.
The program has been funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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