California Seat Belt Law

Williams CHP office wins traffic safety award

California Highway Patrol Assistant Commissioner Ramona Prieto presents the 2010 California Law Enforcement Challenge award to CHP Officer Justin Sherwood and Williams office Commander James T. Epperson Tuesday morning. The Williams CHP office finished second in the statewide competition among like-sized law enforcement offices. Also pictured is Northern Division Assistant Chief Ruben Leal.

The California Highway Patrol office in Williams is among the 2010 California Law Challenge winners for its traffic safety program.

CHP Assistant Commissioner Ramona Prieto presented the award to Cmdr. James T. Epperson and the staff on Tuesday morning.

The Williams office competed against other California law enforcement agencies of similar size. It finished second to Truc ee, missing the top spot by five points, said Officer John Waggoner, public information officer for the Williams office.

Points are assigned based on the number of seat belt citations, child safety seat citations, drunken driving arrests, speed enforcement and the office's general public safety program.

"It's not just what we do out on the road, but what we do in the office and going out in the communities ... and teaching people about speed enforcement, DUI and safety belt enforcement."

Waggoner said this award is actually based on 2010 numbers. The program was delayed by one year.

There were 229 submissions for the award statewide, of which 119 were CHP offices.

"The CLEC program is important and instrumental in promoting advancement in traffic safety; thereby continuing to decrease the number of people killed per 100 million miles traveled in California," the CHP said in a statement.

In addition to Prieto, Northern Division Assistant Chief Ruben Leal attended the ceremony. Officer Justin Sherwood put together the package for the Williams office.

Kids Under 8 Affected by California's Child Safety Seat Law Update

Must be properly buckled into a car seat or booster in the back seat.

Children age 8 or older may use the vehicle seat belt if it fits properly with the lap belt low on the hips, touching the upper thighs, and the shoulder belt crossing the center of the chest. If children are not tall enough for proper belt fit, they must ride in a booster or car seat.

Why is it necessary?

Seat belts are designed for adults and do not properly fit children under 4’9” tall, regardless of the child’s weight. 

Using car seats, booster seats and seat belts the right way on every ride – lap belt low on the hips touching the upper thighs and shoulder belt crossing the chest – saves lives.

A booster “boosts” the child up in order to make the adult-sized belt safely fit a child-sized body. According to researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, booster seats, which reposition the seat belt across the strongest bones of the child’s body, reduce injury risk for children 4-8 years old by 45% compared to seat belts alone.

If the belt crosses the child’s waist instead of the hips or thigh bones, the child risks damage to internal organs and/or a spinal cord injury if involved in a collision.

Is my 8-year-old ready for a seat belt?

Parents should use this simple 5-step test to determine if their 8-year-old child can safely ride in a seat belt alone.

5-Step Test Can the child sit all the way back against the auto seat? Do the child’s knees bend naturally over the seat cushion edge? Does the lap belt cross the top of the hips/thighs, not the tummy? Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest? Can the child stay seated in this position the whole trip?

If you cannot answer “yes” to all 5 steps above, your child must remain in a booster seat until the seat belt alone fits properly. Your child’s weight is not a factor in determining proper fit.

NOTE

Belt-positioning boosters cannot be used with only a lap belt! (See your car dealer for a lap/shoulder belt retrofit.

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