NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                CONTACT: Lt. Kevin Toth

DATE:  May 24, 2021                                                          PHONE: (760) 839-4444

Californians Encouraged to Buckle Up on Every Trip

May 24-June 6 is Click it or Ticket Seat Belt Campaign

The Escondido Police Department encourages the public to wear a seat belt and keep children secured in child safety seats.

This year’s Click it or Ticket campaign is from May 24-June 6. During this time, the Escondido Police Department will actively look for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This includes drivers who do not secure children in child safety seats.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 43% (9,466) were not wearing seat belts. In 2019, 620 passengers killed in crashes across California were not wearing a seat belt.

California law requires a child to be properly secured in a car or booster seat in the back seat, until they are at least 8 years of age or at least 4’9” tall. Children under the age of 2 shall ride in a rear-facing seat unless child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

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.