Ventura, California – The Ventura Police Department is joining agencies across the country in promoting the importance of wearing a seat belt in the car and keeping children safe by making sure they are properly restrained.
This year’s Click it or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign is from May 17- June 6, 2021. During this time, the Ventura Police Department will have additional officers on patrol looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This includes drivers who do not properly secure children in child safety seats.
“Wearing a seat belt is your best defense on the road,” said Special Operations Commander, Darrick Brunk. “It takes only a few seconds to strap in and helps keep you and your family safe.”
While the seat belt use rate in California was 96% in 2019, there has been a noted drop in seat belt use by back seat passengers. A recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) found only 76% of rear seat passengers wore seat belts.
The fine for a seat belt violation is $162. California law requires a child be properly secured in a safety seat in the second row of a vehicle, when available, until they are at least 8 years of age. Children under the age of two must ride rear-facing or until they reach 40 pounds or 40 inches in height.
California has a primary seat belt law, which allows law enforcement officers to ticket someone for not wearing a seat belt without committing another traffic violation.
To learn more about the Office of Traffic Safety grant and VPD’s educational efforts, contact Emily Graves, Community Outreach Specialist for the Ventura Police Department, at [email protected].
