Local Police Increasing Seat Belt, Child Passenger Safety Enforcement over Labor Day Weekend

As part of the Buckle Up Pennsylvania Seat Belt Enforcement & Education Campaign, local police agencies will step up seat belt and child passenger safety enforcement over the Labor Day Weekend.

When worn properly, lap/shoulder belts reduce a person’s chance of being killed or seriously injured by better than 50 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The following guidelines are provided for seat belt use:

• The lap belt should be two to four inches below the waist line against the hips and upper thighs.
• The lap belt should fit snugly against the hips because the pelvis is capable of withstanding the force of a crash.
• The shoulder belt should cross the chest diagonally with the belt lying against the collar bone, not the neck.
• The shoulder belt should be snug in order to achieve the maximum amount of protection in a crash.

In a crash, the lap/shoulder belt, if properly worn, will spread the force of the impact across the strong pelvic and collar bones, according to Buckle Up Pennsylvania. An improperly worn lap/shoulder belt could break ribs or cause internal injuries. Shoulder straps should never be worn across the neck or under the arm; lap belts should never be worn across the stomach.

“You can help by being a good role model,” states the program’s press release. “Studies show that when an adult is not wearing a seatbelt, there’s a 70 percent chance that the children in the car aren’t buckled up either. Make a difference and help protect your family while driving this holiday weekend — buckle up every time.”

The Easton Police Department enforces occupant protection laws in cooperation with Buckle Up Pennsylvania and the PA Department of Transportation.