Seat belts save lives, but now they also save drivers money.
A mobilization of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which started May 19 and continues until tomorrow, is on the lookout for vehicles that contain passengers not wearing their seat belts.
The campaign promoting this mobilization, “Click it or Ticket,” began through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the Department of Transportation in 2000, said Rae Tyson, spokesman for NHTSA.
“We have been running seat belt campaigns for years and years and getting only a small increase in usage. Now we’re trying to reach those who don’t believe in seat belts, but do respond to the threat of getting a ticket,” Tyson said. “General persuasion won’t work anymore; increased enforcement is very effective.”
NHTSA talks with regional law enforcement agencies and they decide to contact local police departments, Tyson said.
During the campaign, the southeastern region of the United States averaged an 11 to 12 percent increase in seat belt use.
“We don’t expect to see results that dramatic nationwide, but if a couple points are added it could save 1,000 to 2,000 lives,” Tyson said.
During the two weeks of the mobilization, an increased number of officers on the roads are looking for vehicles that have passengers without restraints, said Ashley Ellis, spokeswoman for public safety at Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“The majority of fatalities typically involve the occupants not wearing any restraints,” said Sgt. Robin Shmutz, spokeswoman for Ohio State Highway Patrol. “We are hoping these campaigns will increase voluntary compliance.”
In 97 percent of all high-impact accidents, seat belts can mean the difference between life and death, said Erik Carlsson, automotive engineer with AC Automotive Consultant in New Jersey.
He said the other 2 or 3 percent are crashes where the car is crushed completely, such as a collision with a train.
There is a special emphasis in the campaign this year on young drivers, who often have lower seat belt ratings than older age groups.
“This is a dangerous combination, since traffic accidents are the leading cause of teenage death,” Tyson said.
The percentage of drivers and passengers who wore their seat belts in Ohio in 2001 is 66.9 percent – well below the national average of 75 percent, Tyson said.
A big reason some states are higher than others is the enforcement of a primary law for seat belt use, said Robert Pollack, regional program manager of NHTSA in Ohio’s region. Ohio has a secondary law.
A primary law allows the law enforcement officer to stop a car if someone in the front seat is not wearing his or her seat belt, Pollack said.
“With a secondary law, it is required by law to wear one, but you can’t be stopped solely for not wearing it,” he said.
Michigan, which enforces a primary law, has a seat belt usage of 82.3 percent.
“We encourage a change to primary law, but the ultimate choice lies in the states,” Tyson said. “If they want to see statistics, we are glad to help and show what primary law can do.”
“In a lot of states, legislature feels it is a personal issue,” Pollack said of the decision on whether or not to wear seat belts. “At this time, I don’t believe Ohio is considering a primary law.”
The seat belt law in Ohio requires that any front seat occupant must have a safety belt, Shmutz said. Occupants in cars with a separate lap and shoulder belt must wear both.
She said all cars built in 1966 and forward should have both a shoulder and lap belt. If the car has only a lap belt installed, occupants should wear what is available.
The campaign is federally funded through the Department of Transportation, Ellis said.
“We (Ohio) are getting over a $1 million this year. We receive that much because the campaign has been working so well here,” she said. “The amount is based to the success of the previous year.”
Some of the funding goes to the media component to teach the public. The Ohio State Highway Patrol also partners with hospitals and other organizations to raise awareness of issues with safety belts.
Ohio is in it’s third year of the “What’s Holding You Back?” campaign and hoping to raise public awareness further with the new enforcement driven “Click it or Ticket,” Ellis said.
“We are now up to 70.3 percent, which is the highest it has ever been,” she said of seat belt usage in Ohio.
“Over the Memorial Day weekend five died in vehicle accidents. Three of them weren’t buckled,” Ellis said. “Last year, there were 12 deaths.”
Carlsson said it should be a primary law in every state that occupants wear seat belts.
“Police should have the right to stop anyone they wish. Whenever someone is involved in an accident, other people have to pay somehow,” he said. “If you are injured insurance must pay. So we are all paying for people not wearing their seat belts.”
