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 child safety seat laws. Beginning Sunday, September 15, 2019, through Saturday, September 21, 2019, the Department’s Traffic Section will conduct a citywide campaign to enforce the state’s child seat and seatbelt laws.
While Arizona’s occupant protection laws are a secondary offense, child safety seat laws are primary offenses. This means a police officer can stop a vehicle based solely on non-car seat use or non-seatbelt use if a child under the age of five is unsecured in a vehicle. Arizona Revised Statute 28-907 also requires passengers between the ages of five and eight to utilize a booster seat.
This enforcement campaign is focused on high visibility traffic enforcement with a zero-tolerance approach towards child safety seat and seatbelt usage. 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 five to eight years of age.