South Carolina Department of Public
Safety_______
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2009
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-600-8119;
BEVERLY HARRIS, 803-896-9958
SCDPS ILLUSTRATES 1,392 REASONS TO BUCKLE UP
Agency kicks off annual “Buckle
Up,
COLUMBIA – Orange traffic cones – 1,392 in all – stood Friday within an entire section at Williams-Brice Stadium as a stark reminder of the number of people who died in traffic collisions between 2006 and 2008 and might be alive had they worn safety belts.
Officials from the SC
Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) and local law enforcement agencies were at
the stadium to kick off the annual Buckle
Up, South Carolina (BUSC) safety belt mobilization. Each cone in Section 21
of the
“Too many people have too many
excuses for not wearing a safety belt,” said SCDPS Director Mark Keel. “But here
are two reasons to buckle up – it’s the law and it saves lives.”
People violating the safety belt law can be fined up to $50 for multiple violations during the same traffic stop. Fines for child passenger safety violations are up to $150, with court costs raising the penalties to $350.
Police officers and sheriffs’ deputies representing agencies that participate in the Law Enforcement Networks coordinated by SCDPS were at the stadium to show support for the statewide enforcement blitz, which starts May 18 and runs through May 31.
“Of course, the safety belt law is enforced year round,” said Colonel F.K. Lancaster of the SC Highway Patrol. “But this mobilization will couple enforcement with education through TV commercials and other outreach. The law will be enforced, but the main goal is to save lives.”
The overall number of traffic fatalities
in
As part of SCDPS’ efforts to inform the
public about the enforcement mobilization, the law and the safety benefits of
buckling up, the agency is airing two TV commercials. The first aired as part of
the original Highways or Dieways
campaign. The ad is paired with a
more recent enforcement commercial to encourage safety belt usage and compliance
with the law.
The newer commercial follows the
same format as spots recently aired during
Sober or Slammer! DUI enforcement
campaigns. This commercial features comments from drivers taken during a 2007
study that focused on the reasons people choose not to wear a safety belt. The
comments are spoken by actors, but the troopers, sheriffs’ deputies and police
officers in the commercial are actual law enforcement personnel.
Both spots began airing on TV stations statewide on May 11 and will run through May 25.
During the BUSC campaign, the SC Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will allow use of its electronic message boards across the state from May 18 to May 31 to remind motorists to wear safety belts. The posted message will be “Buckle up. It’s the law.”
To gauge the usage of
safety belts in
Last year, the state
marked a record increase in belt usage, with 79 percent of
In spite of the increase in belt usage, preliminary statistics for 2008 are cause for concern. Of the 920 reported fatalities in 2008, 421 had access to safety belts that were not used.
According to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), regular safety belt use is the single
most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle
crashes. When worn correctly, seat belts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal
injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent, and by 60 percent in
pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans.
The nationwide safety belt
mobilization is being supported by a projected $8
million in paid national advertising and additional state advertising to
encourage motorists to always buckle up in a motor vehicle. National TV spots
are airing in
BUSC is a high visibility statewide safety belt enforcement and public information campaign coordinated by SCDPS in conjunction with national and regional enforcement mobilizations. The goals are an increase in safety belt usage and a decrease in traffic fatalities and serious injuries during the period and greater awareness about the role safety belts have in keeping motorists safe on the road.
