Tigard drivers who skip the seat belt or haven't checked their child's car seat could face citations starting Monday, Aug. 24, when Tigard Police launch a two-week "Click It or Ticket" enforcement campaign.
The enforcement runs through Sunday, Sept. 6, overlapping with the return of Tigard-Tualatin School District students on Tuesday, Sept. 1, and the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Officers from the Tigard Police Traffic Safety Unit will focus on educating drivers about seat belt and car seat laws, according to a news release from TPD Public Information Officer Kelsey Anderson.
Depending on the circumstances, drivers could receive a warning or a citation. Officers will also enforce all other traffic laws during the campaign.
Oregon is a primary enforcement state, meaning officers can pull over a vehicle solely because an occupant isn't wearing a seat belt.
Oregon car seat requirements
Oregon law requires children to ride in a rear-facing car seat until age 2. Children over 40 pounds who have outgrown their forward-facing seat must use a booster until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall or age 8, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, correctly installed car seats reduce the risk of fatal crash injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. Car crashes remain the leading cause of death nationwide for children ages 1 to 12.
Half of all people killed in U.S. car crashes in 2024 were not wearing seat belts, NHTSA data shows.
Part of a broader summer push
The seat belt campaign is one of two overlapping enforcement efforts. Tigard Police also began a "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" impaired-driving enforcement on Aug. 19 that runs through Sept. 7, timed to the end of summer travel season and Labor Day.
During the 2024 Labor Day holiday period nationally, 505 people died in crashes; 170 of those deaths involved at least one alcohol-impaired driver, according to NHTSA.
Both campaigns are funded through federal NHTSA grants administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact.
What happened last time
During the most recent completed "Click It or Ticket" enforcement in May 2026, Tigard officers worked eight federally funded overtime hours and took 33 total actions: 21 citations and 12 warnings. None involved seat belt or car seat violations specifically. In a July 8 news release reporting those results, Tigard Police said the goal of the enforcements is to change driver behavior and lead to safer roads.
The comparable August 2025 campaign produced 72 total actions over 17 overtime hours, including 17 citations for issues such as distracted driving, seat belt use and driving while suspended, along with 55 warnings.
Tigard Police typically release enforcement results two to four weeks after a campaign ends.
