The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is enhancing its efforts to ensure children are safely secured while traveling California’s roadways. The CHP has partnered with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to implement the Children Held in Proper Place Every Ride (CHIPPER) campaign.

The CHIPPER campaign will run for one year and focus on reducing the number of children killed in traffic collisions throughout California. To help accomplish this goal, the CHP will host educational seminars, classes, and child safety seat inspections. These efforts will highlight the importance of child passenger restraint and seat belt usage, and provide education on the proper installation of child passenger safety seats. In addition to educational efforts, the CHP will be conducting enforcement operations concentrating on occupant restraint violations throughout the year with a special emphasis during the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign and national Child Passenger Safety Week.

California law requires a child to be properly restrained in an appropriate child safety seat in the rear seat of a vehicle until they are at least eight years of age. Children age eight and older, who are at least four feet nine inches, may ride in the rear seat of a vehicle in a properly fitted seat belt.

Child passenger safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. Unfortunately, the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System recorded 198 unrestrained children (age seven and younger) killed in traffic collisions throughout California in 2014.

“Buckling up is the single most effective way to protect a child in a vehicle crash,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “Most collisions occur within a mile of home. By law children must be properly secured for every trip, no matter how short. Everyone at the CHP hopes that this campaign will ensure that all children in California are correctly buckled in for every trip.”

For more information regarding child passenger safety, child safety seats, and seat belt regulations, contact your local CHP Area office.

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