Media Release February 2, 2026 Seat Belt and Child Safety Enforcement Campaign The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is stepping up efforts to keep families safe on the road. From January 26 through February 8, deputies will conduct focused enforcement of seat belt and child safety seat laws across the county—because your safety, and your family’s safety, matters. Although Oregon boasts a high seat belt use rate of 95.53% (2024), unrestrained crashes still lead to tragic outcomes every year. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT): In 2021, failure to wear a seat belt was a factor in half of Oregon’s traffic fatalities. More than one-third of children under age 8 injured in crashes were unrestrained, held on laps, or moved to adult belts too soon. This enforcement effort is funded by the Oregon IMPACT Traffic Safety Grant, which provides additional patrol hours dedicated to preventing serious injuries and saving lives. Our message is simple: -Buckle up—every trip, every seat. -Make sure children are in the right seat for their age and size. It’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect the people you love. For more information on child passenger safety, visit ODOT’s Safety Resources.