Buckle Up America
Strategy

Increasing the national seat belt use rate from the current 68 percent to 90 percent would prevent an estimated 5,536 deaths, 132,670 injuries and save society $8.8 billion annually. But the numbers will not move on their own. To reach 90 percent belt use nationally, every state and community should be involved in Buckle Up America and every campaign needs to develop effective public-private partnerships. Here are the four key elements to embrace as we work together to Buckle Up America.

THE FOUR KEY ELEMENTS TO INCREASING SEAT BELT USE

1. Make Buckling Up a Priority. Increasing seat belt use is still the single most effective thing we can do to save lives and reduce injuries on American roadways.

2. Tailor the Campaign to Your Needs. No single approach will work in every state or community. Identify your needs and opportunities and then design your Buckle Up America effort to best meet those needs.

3. Use Messages That Work. Research shows that there are three key messages that move Americans to action. Use these key messages to help explain why Buckle Up America is so important to all of us.

   • Kids � Unbuckled drivers endanger kids by setting bad examples for them to follow. When a driver is unbuckled, 70 percent of the time so are children riding in that vehicle.

   • Costs � Unbuckled occupants cost us all money because we all pay for crash victims. Inpatient hospital care costs for unbuckled crash victims are 50 percent greater than for belted victims.

   • Everyone has a role � We all have a stake in this problem and we are all part of the solution. We must all buckle ourselves, buckle our children and call upon others to do the same.

4. Implement a Four-Part Strategy. In order to reach the national goals and the goals you identify at the state and community levels, we must concentrate our efforts on four tracks simultaneously.

   • Organize, Organize, Organize � Organizing strong partnerships is the heart of our work to achieve 90 percent seat belt use. We must educate citizens, create state and local partnerships, and broaden and activate these partnerships to pass stronger legislation, and support enforcement to achieve the goals of Buckle Up America.

   • Public Education � Generate visibility about Buckle Up America, your activities, and national and state goals. Remind others that the price for unbuckled occupants is too high, and that we all have a part to play in buckling up America.

   • Legislation � Work to pass primary (standard) seat belt laws in every state and close the gaps in child passenger safety laws to ensure that all children are covered in all seating positions.

   • Enforcement � Support local law enforcement�s efforts to seek compliance with the state�s seat belt and child passenger safety laws. Publicize your support of law enforcement�s efforts.