Traffic Unit Receives Grant for Occupant Protection Enforcement Program

As part of its ongoing effort to save lives on Arizona’s roadways, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) is partnering with the Chandler Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies to enforce Arizona’s seat belt and child safety seat laws.  The Chandler Police Department received $10,000 from GOHS to fund the enforcement mobilization in Chandler, which will run from Monday, May 22, 2017, through Sunday, June 4, 2017.

Arizona’s occupant protection laws involve a secondary seat belt law and a primary child safety seat law.  This means a police officer cannot stop a vehicle based solely on non-seatbelt use, unless a child under the age of five is unsecured in a vehicle.  Similar to years past, this enforcement campaign is focused on high visibility traffic enforcement with a zero-tolerance approach towards seat belt and child safety seat usage.  As a part of the national Click-It-Or-Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign, officers from the Department’s Traffic Unit will step up and increase enforcement efforts to drive home the message: Buckle Up Arizona…It’s the Law!

Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.  When worn correctly, seat belts have proven to reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by 50%.  The proper and consistent use of child safety seats has been found to reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.  Properly installed booster seats reduce the risk for serious injury by 45% among children ages four to eight years of age.