Dear (Contact First Name),
The note that came with these pictures said: "It happened up by Norfolk the other day.... She had  her seat belt on and she doesn't want to talk about it." That's OK--not much to say other than we're glad that you were wearing a safety belt and that you're OK. That darned ice.
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Single Parents' Conference
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On Friday, November 19, Click It attended a Single Parent  Conference at Metro Tech Community College in Omaha. Most of the attendees were teenagers still in high school facing the additional responsibility of either already having or expecting a child.
The teenage demographic demonstrates poor buckling statistics along with higher than average crash rates. Because of this, it's important for this group to become aware not only  of the need for child safety seats, but also the importance of the caregiver being safely buckled.
Why do parents need to buckle up?- It's important to model safety behavior for children
- Unbuckled, an adult can become a dangerous projectile in the event of a crash, and hurt or kill a child.
- A parent's health and life are important to the child as they grow. It's not enough for a child to survive a crash if there are no adults left in the family. The situation is made worse if the adult is injured and the child is forced into a caretaking role.
If you are making efforts to spread the word about car seats being vital for children, don't forget that parents need to care for themselves too! Everyone should wear a belt every trip, every time.
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| News from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) | |
| U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood released new research showing that while increasing safety belt use can be a difficult task, one way to accomplish it is with stronger belt laws and increased fines for unbuckled motorists, both of which substantially increase belt use.
"We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday travel season," said Secretary LaHood. "For the sake of your loved ones and everyone else on the road, please remember to buckle up and put away your cell phone every time you get behind the wheel."
The research summarized in this NHTSA report shows that states upgrading from secondary to primary belt laws show corresponding belt use gains of 10 to 12 percentage points. Increased fines for belt use violation from $25 to $60 show gains in belt use of 3 to 4 percentage points. Penalties raised to $100 show 6- to 7-percent point gains. A $25 fine is the national median.
"Seat belts are the single most protective safety device ever invented for use in vehicles, saving thousands of lives each year. Now our research proves that when states step up sanctions, they're rewarded with huge improvements in belt use," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.
This report was based on the results of surveys of seat belt use conducted by the states between 1997 and 2008.
View the summary report here.
View the report in its entirety here.
Since Nebraska relies on education to increase safety belt use, Coalition members play an important role in getting the word out. Safety belts save lives!
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