Cottage Grove Police Department News

***  NEW SAFETY PROGRAM  ***

CHILD CAR SEAT INSPECTION AND INSTALLATION PROGRAM

The Cottage Grove Police Department offers car seat installation inspections by making an appointment. 

PCO Cherie Nelson is our certified technician on staff to help parents and caregivers learn how to safely install the child

seats in their own vehicles.  An appointment generally lasts 30-45 minutes, with parent education and involvement being

a primary goal. 

 It is best to have the child present and to bring your vehicle’s owner manual and child seat instructions

(if you have them).

 The car seat check will include the following:

• Assisting with the proper use of child restraint systems and safety belts.

• Inspecting and installing the child safety seat.
• Ensuring the individual safety seat is not on the current recall list.
• Answering questions.

You may schedule an appointment by calling PCO Cherie Nelson at:

541-942-9145 ext. 264

Motor vehicle traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for children age 3 and older. 

Securing children properly in the back seat of the vehicle is the MOST effective thing parents and caregivers can do to

protect them in the event of a crash.  Proper child seat safety can reduce the risk of injury or death by 70%. 

Conscientious parents make sure their children are in the child seats.  However, 80-90% of those seats do not

adequately protect the children riding in them due to improper installation.  Protection can be compromised in

several ways, including: 

• The wrong seat is used for the child’s age, weight and height, or for that vehicle.

• A seat isn’t installed in the car correctly.
• A child isn’t properly secured in the seat.

OREGON CHILD OCCUPANT PROTECTION LAW

Oregon law assists drivers in the decision of how to properly restrain and protect children in motor vehicles.  

When children are properly restrained it significantly decreases the severity of injuries and number of fatalities that occur

in a crash.  Oregon’s law reflects national best practice.

 Child Restraints

•  Child passengers must be restrained in an approved child safety seat until they weigh 40 pounds.

• Infants must ride rear facing until they reach both one year (recommended until age of 2) of age and 20 pounds. 

 Booster Seats

• Children over 40 pounds must use a booster seat until they are age 8 or 4’9” in height.
• The booster seat requirement does not apply when the rear seat of the vehicle is equipped only with lap belts,
  provided the child is secured by the lap belt.

Safety Belts

• A child taller than 4’9” or age 8 or older must be properly secured with the vehicle’s safety belt.
• The child is properly secured if the lap belt is positioned low across the thighs and the shoulder belt is positioned

The failure to properly use safety belts or child restraints is a Class D violation with a $142 fine-ORS 811.210 and

ORS 815.055, effective October 1, 2009.

National “Best Practice” Recommendations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises:

 1. Children should ride rear facing in their child safety seat until they reach the upper height or weight limit of the seat.

 2. Children under age 13 should ride in the back seat, which reduces the risk of crash injury by 37%.

 3. Children riding in a forward facing child safety seat with a harness, should remain in that seat until they reach the

      upper height and weight limits of the seat before graduating to a booster seat.

Additional “Best Practice” Suggestions

Rear Facing: Never place a rear facing child in front of an active frontal air bag.

Forward Facing: Use the top tether when possible.

Booster: Continue riding in a booster seats until the lap and shoulder safety belt fit properly, even if age 8 or older or                                taller than 4'9" in height.

 When is my child ready to ride in a safety belt?

 1.      Is the child tall enough to sit with their back against the vehicle seat back?

 2.     Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat?

 3.     Does the belt cross the shoulder over the collarbone?

 4.      Is the lap belt low, touching the thighs?

 5.     Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

A “No” answer means the child needs a booster seat for best protection.

CAR SEAT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILDREN

• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it

          every time.

• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to

          install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.

• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the

          manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.

• Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

Birth-12 months

 Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.  There are different types of rear-facing car seats: 

Infant-only car seats can only be used rear-facing.  Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight

limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1-3 years

 Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible.  It’s the best way to keep him or her safe.  Your child should remain in a

rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.  Once

your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4-7 years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed

by your car seat’s manufacturer.  Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in

a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

 8-12 years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly.  For a seat belt to fit properly

the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach.  The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder

and chest and not cross the neck or face.  Remember:  your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.

DESCRIPTION (RESTRAINT TYPE)

 A REAR-FACING CAR SEAT is the best seat for your young child to use.  It has a harness and in a crash, cradles and

moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord.

A FORWARD-FACING CAR SEAT has a harness and tether that limits your child’s forward movement during a crash.

A BOOSTER SEAT positions the seat belt so that it fits properly over the stronger parts of your child’s body.

A SEAT BELT should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain the child safely

in a crash.  It should not rest on the stomach area or across the neck. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES:

www.nhsta.gov         www.childsafetyseat.org     www.actsoregon.org             

Crime Reports Now Available Online!!

Cottage Grove Police Department is pleased to announce that it has recently partnered with Crimereports.com to bring a new    public safety tool that allows both the Department and the Public to view Crimes and Activity within the Community. 

 

We invite you to log-in to Crimereports.com to view crime activity in your neighborhood and throughout the city. You may also      sign up for your own free account and subscribe to free crime alert emails which are sent directly to your personal email       account.  A signup link is provided on the Crimereports.com home page.

 

The Crimereports.com reporting service is provided as a public service by the Cottage Grove Police Department and the City of Cottage Grove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 16, 2011   The City of Cottage Grove and the Cottage Grove Police Department in cooperation with Lane Council of Governments and

Public Safety Agencies throughout Lane County have joined the Community Emergency Notification System "CENS" which is slated to go live

on Friday June 17, 2011.

 

Members of the Community are invited to register their cellular or VOIP phones with CENS through Lane Council of Governments at the following website:                

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR CELLULAR OR VoIP PHONE NUMBERS

Public Safety Agencies in Lane County are expanding the capabilities of their Community Emergency Notification System (CENS) so that public           officials can reach more members of the community with timely alert and warning information. With CENS and the "Alert Me" registration,           critical  information can be relayed to you about emergency situations that require your immediate attention.

Until recently, emergency personnel would use CENS to call land-line telephones but did not have the capability to include Wireless (cellular) or             Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone numbers. Now, owners of VoIP or cellular phone lines can receive the same emergency message          as those with land-line phones receive, but ONLY IF THEY REGISTER.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR CELLULAR OR VoIP PHONE NUMBERS

Searchable City Code is available online.
   Cottage Grove Municipal Code

 

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