May 20, 2008
Buckle Up Day and Night, and Save Your Life
It doesn't matter where or when you drive. If you don't buckle up, you will get a ticket.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety has partnered with state and local law enforcement May 19 through June 1 for an aggressive "Click It or Ticket" campaign to crack down on unbelted drivers and save lives. Fifteen separate law enforcement agencies in Central Missouri and the Missouri State Highway Patrol will be on the watch for unbelted drivers.
"It we stop you for a traffic offense and you're not buckled in correctly, you will receive a ticket. No exceptions, no excuses," said Captain Dale Schmidt, commanding officer of Troop F, Missouri State Highway Patrol. "This type of enforcement operation is essential to our efforts to reduce fatalities and injuries, and the Highway Patrol is dedicated to this goal."
Drivers involved in a 2007 Missouri traffic crash had a 1 in 32 chance of being killed if they were not wearing seat belts. However, when drivers wore their seat belts, their chance of being killed was only 1 in 1,329.
"Buckling up can save your life in a traffic crash," said Matt Myers, central region coordinator for the Coalition. "It's a simple as that, but we still face too large a percentage of people who don't wear one and put themselves at risk. We use programs like ‘Click It or Ticket' to get that message out there and hopefully change their behavior."
Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to reduce injuries and fatalities in a crash because it provides protection from being ejected and keeps motorists from smashing into windshields, dashboards and other passengers.
Nationally in 2006, 72 percent of passenger vehicle occupants involved in a fatal crash who were buckled up survived the 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. Yet, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly one in five Americans still fail to regularly wear their seat belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.
For more information on Missouri seat belt use, visit www.savemolives.com.
Editor's Note: Click on the images below for high resolution files suitable for publication.
Captain Dale Schmidt, commanding officer for Troop F, Missouri State Highway Patrol, discusses the Click It or Ticket program at a news conference on May 20, 2008.
District Traffic Engineer Matt Myers spoke on behalf of the Central Region of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. Behind him are officers from the Boone County Sheriff's Department, Fulton Police Department, Jefferson City Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Highway Patrol Sergeant Paul Reinsch stands by as a dummy is ejected from the pick-up truck rollover simulator. Once the dummy is buckled up, he remains safely inside the truck cab. Without his seat belt, he is tossed around the cab until he is thrown from the vehicle.
MoDOT Intermediate Traffic Studies Specialist Brandon Campbell rides in the Highway Patrol's seat belt convincer, which simulates a five-mile-an-hour crash. The jolt offered by the convincer illustrates how a safety belt protects you from the force and impact of a crash.
