FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 1, 2001

CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN; CAMPAIGN TO CONTINUE

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today announced that seat belt use in the state rose to 74 percent – a nine percentage point jump – after the Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign. The largest increase was among African-Americans, which rose by 14 percentage points to more than 70 percent.

The Click It or Ticket enforcement effort, led by the S.C. Department of Public Safety, ran from November 20 to December 3, last year and involved 248 state and local agencies. During the two-week enforcement blitz, the Highway Patrol and local agencies held more than 3,303 checkpoints, issuing a total of 19,815 seat belt violations. The fatality rate during the two-week enforcement period fell by almost 30 percent from the year before at a comparable time and fatal collisions fell by almost 40 percent compared to 1999. (See attachment for more complete statistics).

"The true success of Click It or Ticket was the jump in usage rates after the campaign," said DPS Director B. Boykin Rose. "Our goal is to continue to build on that success by continuing strict enforcement of our seat belt and child restraint laws and by using every forum available to us to relay the importance of buckling up to the motoring public."

The enforcement effort was preceded by a major media blitz, which included television and radio public service announcements paid for by the National Safety Council’s Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign. Leaders from the Department of Public Safety and other organizations involved with the campaign visited schools and civic organizations and met extensively with legislators and the media so that no community would be surprised or feel targeted by the campaign. DPS also created an educational video reminding officers of the correct protocol during a traffic stop.

"We knew going into Click It or Ticket that it was vital that people understand law enforcement’s role and the purpose of this campaign," Highway Patrol Col. Ralph Mobley said. "Click It or Ticket’s goal was to save lives not single out any group, and I believe our officers were tough on enforcement while maintaining professionalism and courtesy."

The DPS Office of Highway Safety will continue Click It or Ticket through a grant program, which was formerly called Operation 35. The goal is to heighten awareness about seat belts and child passenger safety.

DPS web site at www.scdps.org.

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