Mobilization seeks to maintain state’s record-high use rate
Michigan motorists will see a sure sign of summer today, safety belt enforcement zones, which launch the start of the annual two-week traffic safety mobilization designed to reinforce the state’s nationally record-setting seat belt rate.
By all accounts, the federally funded statewide mobilization has achieved remarkable results. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says Click it or Ticket is the most successful seat belt enforcement campaign ever. While national seat belt use is 83 percent, 97.9 percent of Michigan motorists are buckling up.
Despite the highest belt use any state has ever achieved, nearly half of the state’s passenger vehicle occupants who died last year were unbuckled – 305 people. The primary audience for advertising messages continues to be men ages 18 to 34, the group least likely to wear seat belts.
“Our goal, always, is that drivers notice and take heed of the seat belt campaign,” said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. “This once-a-year effort saves lives year round.”
In the past ten years, seat belt use has climbed from 70 percent in 2000 to 97.9 percent in 2009. More importantly, traffic deaths have fallen from 1,382 in 2000 to 871 in 2009. And, seat belt citations have declined as belt use has increased. During last year’s seat belt campaign, officers issued just 11,727 seat belt citations.
In 2008 alone, seat belts saved 13,250 lives nationwide and 465 lives in Michigan, according to NHTSA.
The campaign is paid for with federal funds that put additional police officers on the road; regular patrols are not redirected. In the last five years, safety belt enforcement zones have led to the arrest of 807 drunk drivers, 725 fugitives and 883 felons.
Taking place around Memorial Day each year, this campaign kick-starts the summer travel season with a strong safe driving message and sets the stage for additional enforcement campaigns this summer that will focus on drunk driving and other dangerous driving behavior.
More than 850 zones are slated in 30 counties and will involve local police departments, sheriff offices and Michigan State Police posts. In addition to daytime zones, officers will also be adding late-night traffic shifts during the mobilization to reinforce the importance of buckling up, day and night, because seat belt use falls sharply during late night/early morning hours.
Because the campaign goal is compliance and not tickets, locations of safety belt enforcement zones are listed on OHSP’s website at www.michigan.gov/ohsp .
