FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2001

CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

SCDPS ANNOUNCES "THANK YOU TICKET" CAMPAIGN

COLUMBIA - The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today announced the beginning of the 2001 "Thank You Ticket" campaign, which involves more than 100 local law enforcement agencies from across the state in an effort to recognize motorists who buckle up.

During the campaign, which runs from July 31 to August 31, law enforcement officers at participating agencies will issue "Thank You Tickets" to motorists who are observed wearing seat belts and using child restraint devices. The tickets will be distributed to both drivers and passengers who are buckled up. Crash victims who are wearing seat belts also may receive "Thank You Tickets."

Motorists who complete and return the postcard "ticket" are entered into a drawing to win a $1,000 cash prize donated by the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. The drawing will take place live on television.

"Our goal with the ‘Thank You Ticket’ campaign is to provide positive reinforcement to motorists who use seat belts and child safety seats," said Max Young, Director, DPS Office of Highway Safety. "By thanking them for buckling up and giving them the opportunity to win $1,000, we hope to encourage them to continue this life-saving habit."

The "Thank You Ticket" campaign is sponsored by DPS through a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Past "Thank You Ticket" campaigns proved popular with the public, with as many as 40,000 "tickets" sent in for the drawings. The last campaign was held in 1998.

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