Media Contact: John Lisle, DDOT at (202) 671-2004

(Washington, DC) As thousands of area motorists prepare to hit the roads for the July 4 Holiday Weekend, new survey results show more District drivers and passengers are buckling up. The 2009 Seatbelt Usage Survey, conducted for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), found a 93 percent seatbelt compliance rate in the District. That is a 3 percent increase over the previous year, and 10 percentage points above the national average.

"The District has the lowest traffic fatality rate in decades.” said Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier. “That is due in large part to enforcement and public awareness. The more we encourage people to buckle up, the more lives we save."

MPD and DDOT have teamed up with other public safety and transportation agencies throughout the region on joint enforcement and education efforts to promote safe driving habits, including seat belt usage. In the most recent Click it Or Ticket campaign in late May, MPD officers wrote 427 safety belt citations and 12 citations for children who were not properly secured in child safety seats. At the same time, radio and television ads and media coverage helped raise awareness of this important safety issue.

“It’s great to see our joint efforts are paying off.” said DDOT Director Gabe Klein. “We’ve pushed this message hard - the easiest way to protect yourself in a crash is to wear your seat belt - and the overwhelming majority of motorists in the District are on board. We’ll keep working though until everyone gets it.”

The 20009 Seatbelt Survey was conducted by the University of the District of Columbia’s Center for Applied Research and Urban Policy (CARUP).