Chris Pagaduan of the Battle Ground Police Department discusses the importance of seat belts

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

If.

A two-letter word that can mean the difference between life and death.

As in … if they had only worn a seat belt.

“Sometimes we show up to cars that don’t have people in them,” said Chris Pagaduan of the Battle Ground Police Department. “Say you find a crash, and there’s no windshield, and there’s damage everywhere, and you’re like, ‘Where’s the person?’ Sometimes you have to search for that person. It takes time to find them. 

“Those people have been found quite a ways from their cars,” the officer added.

And in many cases, if a person has been ejected from a vehicle, it is the worst-case scenario.

“If they would have worn their seat belts, their chances of survival are way better,” Pagaduan said.

Pagaduan and law enforcement officials throughout Washington do not want to say if anymore in this conversation. This month, as part of Target Zero, law enforcement is emphasizing the use of seat belts. They want to get the message out that they are not only required by law, they are a key tool in saving lives.

Pagaduan has had conversations with many drivers about the importance of seat belts. 

“It’s a communication issue. It’s something we need to say,” Pagaduan said. “It’s not about the ticket. It’s about safety. I get a pretty good response from that.”

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Washington has one of the highest seat-belt use rates in the country. Still, in 2021, 154 people died from crashes who were not wearing a seat belt. 

And even if the usage rate is high, officers don’t often need to wait too long to find an offender.

Last month, Clark County Today went on patrol with officers on emphasis patrols, looking for distracted drivers using their cell phones. It only took a few passing cars at a time to spot an offender.

“Seat belts are just as bad. It’s too easy to find, unfortunately,” Pagaduan said.

He has also noticed a lot more children not wearing seat belts or using proper restraining devices. He said that is either bad parenting, or, in some cases, children using bad judgment.

“Sometimes they are in the car (buckled), the parents are driving, and the 7-year-old unbuckles,” Pagaduan said. 

Perhaps the child dropped something and wanted to retrieve it.

Pagaduan said that is a conversation that needs to be had with the child.

“If you drop something, let me know,” a parent could say, Pagaduan noted. “It’s very similar to when a ball goes into the street. Don’t go chasing it. Let me get it.”

Pagaduan and other law enforcement officers throughout Clark County will be working with Target Zero on emphasis patrols this month, looking to educate the public on seat belt use.

“It’s always a goal of mine to do as much as I can with them,” Pagaduan said of Target Zero.

Target Zero is the Washington state campaign with a mission to have zero traffic deaths on Washington’s roads and highways by 2030. 

Every month, Target Zero has a different emphasis. This month, it is seat belts.

“We take that very seriously,” Pagaduan said.