Strategies Used to Increase Belt Use Beyond 90%

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Strategies Used to Increase Belt Use Beyond 90

• LIFESAVERS 2008 Portland
• Carla Levinski
• Occupant Protection Program Manager
• Oregon Department of Transportation

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Focus of This Presentation

• Program Planning Evaluation
• Marketing/Outreach
• Public Education
• Enforcement Motivators
• Enforcement Operations

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Program Planning Evaluation

• Theres a lot more to it than ticket numbers
  use rates.
• Identify conditions contributing to low belt use
• (deficiencies in law, staffing, training, public
  knowledge)
• Select most significant as top priorities,
  annually
• Direct coordinate activities to focus on same
  priorities
• among media, enforcement, CPS techs, other
  advocates
• Encourage cooperation/cross-referrals/multi-agency
  efforts

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Data Sources

• Observed Use Surveys
• Crash Reports
• Convictions
• Grantees (CPS stations overtime LE)
• Public Attitude/Knowledge Surveys
• Public Inquiries phone, email
• Special Research Studies
• (e.g., non-user profiles, car seat demand)

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Is there some reason youre not wearing your
seatbelt today?

• Forgot
• Going a short distance
• Belt is uncomfortable
• Restraints not available (esp. child seats)
• Dont know how to use restraints PROPERLY
• Dont understand the law
• -- from law enforcement
  reports

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Marketing/Outreach

• People are tired of hearing Buckle Up Its the
  Law tell them something they dont already
  know
• Messages are positive, helpful, instructive
  progressive
• Locally customized crashes, survivors,
  statistics, featuring officers/car seat techs
• Radio/TV, print ads, billboards, road signage
• Releases timed to provide year-round messaging,
  complement OT blitzes, CIOT CPS Week
• Primarily earned media

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• As belt use doubled to 97
• Fatal rate 43
• Injury rate 43

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Public Education

• Reliance on community level programs,
• Targeted to general public
• Trauma Nurses Talk Tough (TNTT) in schools
• Car seat training/inspection/distribution
• DMV kiosks driver manual
• Targeted to violators
• Enforcement/Education (OT and ST)
• Alternative sentencing

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Enforcement Operations

• Overtime STEP with 3 saturations annually
• OT grant mgt by LE Assns
• Pre-blitz officer training (1 mo prior)
• Publicity/education with local media (inc local
  crashes, survivors, FI/belt use statistics)
• Optional
• Multi-agency tactical plans
• Spotter operations (more pop., above 90)
• Training for court judges

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Enforcement Motivators

• Thorough understanding of life-saving potential
  of restraints.
• Training in laws, technology crash dynamics
• Recognition for enforcement educational
  achievement
• Participation in PSAs, media, training delivery
• Local victim impacts, survivors reconstructions
  
• CPS technician training (LE- only classes),
  scholarships
• Belt-use-in-crashes enforcement statistics
  within own jurisdiction

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What has worked for Oregon?

• Progressive, coordinated programming for PIE, CPS
  LE
• Positive, instructional messages, locally
  customized media
• Alternative sentencing judicial training - can
  stimulate enforcement where judicial support is
  weak or penalties high
• Training, recognition media involvement for
  officers, CPS techs
• Enforcement OT with mgt by LE Assns (ownership,
  recruitment)
• Click It or Ticket road signs
• Steady expansion of restraint laws high fines
  (97- 242)

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Contact Information

• Carla Levinski
• Transportation Safety Division
• Oregon Dept of Transportation
• Carla.L.Levinski_at_odot.state.or.us
• [phone]