The Thousand Oaks Police Department strives to promote traffic safety within the community. In an effort to recognize certain hazards while driving, the Traffic Bureau is continuing a monthly traffic awareness reminder program, addressing a traffic topic each month. While we focus on a specific topic each month, it’s always imperative to constantly strive to follow all rules of the road. The month of November is dedicated to “Click It or Ticket”.
It only takes two seconds to buckle up. Two seconds! And those two seconds could literally save your life. They will also keep you from getting a ticket and paying a fine. The national seatbelt use rate is at 87 percent, and in California it’s over 97 percent, which is good, but we can do better. That still leaves over half a million drivers and passengers on California roadways unbuckled or kids not in safety seats.
There seems to be a misconception among those who drive and ride in pickup trucks that their large vehicles will protect them more than other vehicles in crashes. But the numbers say otherwise. Sixty-three percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed were not buckled up. That’s compared to 43 percent of passenger car occupants who were killed while not wearing their seat belts. Regardless of vehicle type, seat belt use is the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash.
Buckling up is imperative to protect yourself and your passengers in a crash. It is extremely important to make sure all children riding in your car are properly secured before every trip.
Thousands of children are injured or killed every year because their child passenger safety seats are not installed properly. Remember, most collisions occur within a mile of the home – so buckle your child in a safety seat for every trip, no matter how short.
When driving a motor vehicle, here are some seatbelt laws to remember:
27360 California Vehicle Code
(a) Except as provided in Section 27363, a parent, legal guardian, or driver who transports a child under eight years of age on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 27315, shall properly secure that child in a rear seat in an appropriate child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. (b) Except as provided in Section 27363, a parent, legal guardian, or driver who transports a child under two years of age on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 27315, shall properly secure the child in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system that meets applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the child passenger restraint system.
27315 California Vehicle Code
(d) (1) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle on a highway unless that person and all passengers 16 years of age or over are properly restrained by a safety belt.
27360.5 California Vehicle Code
(a) A parent, legal guardian, or driver shall not transport on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 27315, a child or ward who is eight years of age or older, but less than 16 years of age, without properly securing that child or ward in an appropriate child passenger restraint system or safety belt meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.
The Thousand Oaks Traffic Bureau encourages everyone to wear a seat belt. So when you load up the family for a road trip, a trek across town or just driving to school or work, please do so safely – every trip, every time, day and night. Don’t put your own life at risk, or the life of your family or friends. Buckle up.
For more information on safety belts and child restraint systems, please visit:
https://www.driverseducationusa.com/resources/seat-belts/
https://www.nhtsa.gov/click-it-or-ticket-seat-belts-save-lives
www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/entres/forms/English/PUB269.pdf
Thousand Oaks Police Department
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