(Washington,
DC) As law enforcement agencies in all 50 states mobilize to save lives
by cracking down on seat belt scofflaws, a new report says more such efforts
are needed to lift America out of deadly mediocrity when it comes to seat
belt use.
The report
card from the National Safety Council
gives 19 states D's and F's for driver and passenger safety; an additional
eight states receive grades of C-. States that score the highest, such
as California, achieved success through strong seat belt laws that are
strictly enforced. As a whole, the nation's performance rates as "unacceptable."
"The U.S. ranks behind virtually every other developed country when it
comes to seat belt use - with deadly consequences, " said Alan McMillan,
president of the National Safety Council. "We are killing kids and destroying
families on our highways, and that is why this national seat belt mobilization
is so critically important. We know that high-visibility enforcement gets
people to buckle up and saves lives."
More than 10,000 law enforcement agencies today launch the Operation
ABC Mobilization: America Buckles up Children —the largest-ever
nationwide crackdown on drivers who don't buckle up and don't buckle up
kids. From now through Memorial Day, officers coast-to-coast will blanket
roadways with checkpoints and increased patrols, sharply intensifying
enforcement of seat belt and child restraint laws.
"Across the nation this week, officers will be out in force to save lives,"
said Anna Amos, Colonel of the South Carolina Transport Police. "Our message
is simple-we don't want to write tickets, but if necessary, we will. It's
zero tolerance for people who don't buckle up and don't buckle up kids."
The District of Columbia is one of only three jurisdictions to receive
a grade of "A" in the National Safety Council report. The Safety Council
praised DC's adult seat belt law as the "strongest in the nation" and
commended its participation in previous "Operation ABC Mobilizations,"
both of which have contributed to the District's high seat belt use rate
and low unrestrained fatality rate.
"We got an 'A' on this report card because we are serious about our commitment
to driver and passenger safety," said DC Metropolitan Police Chief Charles
H. Ramsey. "Here in the Nation's Capital, we use strategies that work:
enacting tough seat belt laws, enforcing those laws fairly and consistently,
and supporting our law enforcement efforts with extensive education and
prevention initiatives. There's no question about it: this is how you
save lives," the Chief added.
While giving average or poor grades to a majority of states, the National
Safety Council points to encouraging developments in many states-including
the broad and increasing participation of law enforcement in the Mobilization.
And McMillan spotlighted an unprecedented regional effort in connection
with the Mobilization in eight Southeastern states called Click It or
Ticket.
The Click It or Ticket initiative in Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee will
bring to bear more than $3.25 million in paid advertising alerting drivers
to unprecedented levels of enforcement —more than 15,500 checkpoints
or stepped-up patrols over two weeks. The Click It or Ticket model of
high-visibility enforcement has been proven to significantly raise belt
use and reduce fatalities.
"Research and experience from the past 30 years in the United States and
elsewhere has shown that public education on the safety benefits of seat
belts doesn't significantly raise belt use. We know what works to get
people to buckle up and save lives — enforcement," said Chuck Hurley,
Executive Director of the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign. "While
many states are still doing poorly, we take heart that more and more states
are showing the will to do what is right."
Traffic crashes are the No. 1 killer of kids and are among the leading
causes of death to teens and adults. Overall, 32,061 drivers and passengers
died in crashes in 1999 - a staggering number of fatalities per capita
when compared to most other developed countries, the report said. An estimated
9,553 of these victims would be alive today if they had only worn seat
belts.
The report gives California the only A in recognition of its 89 percent
seat belt use (the highest in the country), and tough seat belt law that
is well-enforced —all resulting in dramatically lower fatality rates.
Thirteen other states receive a grade of B or above. Eight states receive
Fs, including Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota, North Dakota, Tennessee,
West Virginia, Arkansas and New Hampshire. These states fail because of
weak seat belt laws (which prevent officers from stopping drivers because
they are unbelted) seat belt rates below 58 percent, and predictably large
numbers of fatalities per capita. New Hampshire fails in large part because
it has no adult seat belt law at all.
Rep. Irv Slosberg , a Florida state legislator whose 14-year-old daughter
died in a traffic crash because she was unbelted, sponsored a bill this
year to upgrade the state's seat belt law to standard enforcement. "Nearly
1,300 people died in crashes in Florida unbelted last year," said Slosberg.
"The only proven way to stop these senseless deaths is to strengthen our
seat belt law and motivate people to buckle up. No father should ever
have to face the kind of pain I did when Dori was killed."
The number of agencies participating in the twice-yearly Mobilization
has grown from 1,000 agencies in 1997 to more than 10,000 this year. Since
the Mobilizations began:
- Child fatalities from traffic crashes have declined by 17 percent,
exceeding a 1997 national goal to decrease these deaths by 15 percent
by the year 2000.
- Restraint use for infants rose to 97 percent (up from 85 percent
in 1996), and for children ages one to four, it has climbed to 91
percent (up from 60 percent in 1996).
- The rate of air bag deaths has dropped by nearly 80 percent.
The Mobilization is coordinated by the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety
Campaign in partnership with law enforcement, state highway safety offices,
and the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration's BuckleUp America initiative .
The Mobilization is a part of BuckleUp America, an ongoing national
initiative to increase seat belt use and save the lives of Americans.
The effort is supported by the International
Association of Chiefs of Police , the National
Sheriffs Association , Operation CARE, the National
Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives an d more than 1,000
businesses and community organizations.
Related Information
- National Safety Council
- Child Seat &
Seat Belt Safety Information
- Remarks by Chief Ramsey Regarding
Seat Belt and Child Passenger Safety