Petaluma PD Takes Part In Click-It Or Ticket Enforcement

PETALUMA, CA —The Petaluma Police Department has additional officers on patrol as part of this year's Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs May 13-June 2.

Officers are actively looking for drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts; this includes vehicles where children are not secured in child safety seats or the right safety seats for their age.

"Wearing a seat belt should be automatic for all drivers and passengers every trip," Traffic Sgt. Walt Spiller said. "Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember always to buckle up."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 12,000 people killed in crashes throughout the country in 2021 were not wearing seat belts. In California, 878 people killed in crashes in 2021 were not wearing seat belts, an increase of 12.3 percent from 2020.

California law requires a child to be secured in a safety or booster seat until they are at least 8 years old or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Children under 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

The Petaluma Police Department car seat safety program offers free inspections and help to install your car seat. For more information about the car seat safety program, email wspiller@cityofpetaluma.org.

Funding for this program was provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.